


Housekeeping

by 1KazukiMatsuoka1998



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: 9/11, Depression, Emilie dies, Father Son Bonding, Feels, Friendship, Gabriel has a best friend, Hardships, Hugs, Loss, Other, Recovery, Tears
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2019-06-16 02:07:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 33
Words: 160,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15426699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1KazukiMatsuoka1998/pseuds/1KazukiMatsuoka1998
Summary: Adrien decides that enough is enough, he is fed up with having the relationship he has with his Father and decides to try to get close to him as Chat Noir.Through his success, he discovers more than why Gabriel has been avoiding him, and doors open up, will Adrien help his Father to find a way to be happy again?(Gabriel has been my fav character since the beginning)





	1. 1

Adrien is always separated from his Father inside the mansion, since he wasn't as close to him, he never got inside his private quarters. Of course, he could access the library or the dining room but never the kitchens or the private lounge that his Father had. His office and private bedroom was also out of the question, he remembers being able to go in there as a small child but it seemed a bit improper to impose.  
So he always stayed in his room, everything he needed was in there anyway. And he had the world to explore as Chat Noir anyway, there are so many things that he could indulge himself in.

But that doesn't mean that he isn't curious.

He always hated the fact that his Father kept on moving away from him, no matter what happened. He could never get close to him as Adrien, and it got even harder after his Mother disappeared.

So he decided, he's going to try and get closer to him through Chat Noir. Like he does with Marinette.

"Plagg, how many wheels of cheese do I give you per day?" he asked his kwami.  
"Not enowf" Plagg answed with his mouth full.  
"Seriously, do you count?"  
"Well, at least two a day" Plagg recalled.  
Adrien thought for a moment, humming to himself.  
"Please tell me that you aren't reducing my cheese stock-" Plagg said, ready to argue.  
"-How about I give you five a day for this week?" Adrien suggested, and Plagg stopped himself before he was able to argue, "Yes yes yes!!! More cheese!!" he agreed but then he stopped himself, "Wait- what are you planning.....?" his eyes narrowed at him.  
"Oh, nothing big, just more visits, you don't need to worry your head over me Plagg. Can we start today?"  
Nothing needed to be planned, he can go with the flow of things, it always worked with his visits to Marinette.  
"As long as I am getting more cheese, I have no further complaints" Plagg replied.  
"Good to know, alright then, Plagg, Claws Out!" he transformed before leaping out of his window.  
He thought to go around the house and see if he could find his Father through one of the windows, his increased hearing and vision was a very useful skill to have.  
After a while of looking, he found him and got ready to jump towards the window.  
........... Before he stumbled and crashed into it, ungracefully plastered across the glass and his face stung like hell. He winced and opened his eyes to see a rare emotion of surprise across his Father's face. He seemed to be in his private library, reading a book.  
He wanted to laugh, but like heck he could, it was only a few seconds before he fell into the bushes below.  
Feeling the branches hit his back, he let out a grunt before shaking his head of leaves in his hair.  
Above him, he saw the window open and Gabriels head poke out with an unamused face.  
Adrien laughed nervously, so much for making a good appearance.  
"Hi?" he gave a small wave.  
"I would like to know the reason of your interruption of my quiet free time" Gabriel demanded.  
"Sorry, I was aiming to land on your roof but I tripped and landed on your window" Chat lied as he picked the leaves off himself, putting on the best innocent face that he had.  
Gabriel grumbled to himself, "How very unlikely"  
"I surprised myself". Now that wasn't a lie. He got up and shook his body clean of leaves and branches before taking a look at the damage of the bushes. He grimaced, "I could pay for that...."  
"Pay no mind, I will get my gardener to do it"  
Chat put in some effort to try and fix the plants up and make it look as normal as possible, it was bent and squashed down heavily.  
"Can your gardener fix heavily squashed plants?" he asked.  
He heard a loud groan from Gabriel and a smack as he smacked his forehead.  
"Is there anything I could do to cover the costs of the repairs?"  
Adrien was hoping that he was getting somewhere, otherwise he wouldn't be making an effort.  
He then saw Gabriel's face scrunch up in frustration, before he started to think.  
"I hope that's a good thing" he thought.  
"Come on up" Gabriel said after a slow agonising minute.  
Chat felt his chest beam before he jumped up to Gabriel's window and hopped inside with his approval.  
Immediately, his eyes scanned the private library, and it was bigger than he had originally thought. He had always imagined what it would have looked like, it was orderly like he thought, but the amount of books that his Father owned surprised him. He looked up and there were at least three levels worth.  
"Don't take most of your time exploring Chat Noir" Gabriel said and Chats eyes went back to his immediately "-I am very displeased to have you plastered across my window and ruining my garden"  
That felt like a punch in the face, "Sorry sir" he apologised.  
"However, my personal housetaker is off on vacation and won't be back for three weeks. I assume that you can replace her for that time period to cover for the repairs of my bushes?" he suggested.  
House keeper? This is better than he thought he would get.  
"Of course. I can do that for you sir" Chat agreed with a nod.  
Gabriel hid a smile, "Perfect, when can you start?"  
"Right now" Chat replied Immediately, "If you prefer"  
"Brilliant, I suppose you can get started"

Chat went off to work with getting to know his Father more in mind while Gabriel sneered behind his back, with stealing the Miraculous as his own goal.

 _"We shall see Chat Noir"_ Gabriel thought. 


	2. Day 1

Day 1

Adrien went to school as normal the next day, only when he got home and finished his lessons, he went out as Chat Noir and landed through the window Gabriel left open for him.  
He was left to dust the entire library last night which got his shoulders aching and a complaining kwami, which he gave three wheels of cheese for the work and Plagg kept quiet for the rest of the night.  
This time, he got excited when he got tasked to do the laundry but kept his emotions locked inside. He thought that he would be listed with a couple of things to do but then he assumed that he would get used to one thing at a time before having his hands piled up with work like that, he'll get there eventually.  
But anyways, laundry, he opened the door to his Father's bedroom and caught sight of a basket full of dirty laundry. Underwear, socks, shirts and the lot. He looked around the room and noticed that his Father was rather tidy, he does keep his image up very well.  
His bed was bigger than his own, king size, with overhead curtains and drapes along with a beside table and lamp which also had a portrait of himself and his Mother.  
He has that? How come he has that up? Even after a year?  
There was a walk in closet as well, and he thought to empty the trash afterwards too.  
He picked up the washing basket with little effort and took it into the laundry.  
It was smaller than he thought, it had everything he would need but smaller, he guessed that it was the appropriate size for a mansion and got to work.  
Chat never did laundry before so he looked up how to do it on his baton. Separate the colours first. That's kinda racist. But he read the consequences if he didn't do it and started separating them carefully, he really didn't want to ruin his clothes and get yelled at later.  
He checked the clothes first for any stains and his nose wrinkled at the stench, ugh, while they were all mostly okay but stinky, he put all the whites in the washing machine and set it up for washing. There were two washing machines so he set up the second one too. Satisfied, he could only wait until an alert beep would be heard, hopefully he doesn't screw this up.  
He went back into the room and got the trash, tying up the plastic bag, he went into the bathroom to see if there was a bin in there as well.  
When he opened the door, he noticed the many products that his Father owned, skin, hair, moisturiser, his combs were specially designed and made for his hair. He jumped when he saw the box of condoms specially placed in one of the drawers, when he checked the due date on the back of it, he found that it was purchased recently and put it away, not wanting to know any more of it. Nah uh. He didn't know if his Father was sexually active, not at the age that he is at now.  
He grabbed the trash and tied it up before taking it out down the back, he made sure to come back and put in new plastic bags in the trash baskets.  
Okay, what now? The laundry won't be done until soon. His Father will still be working at the moment, he would be in his office, maybe he would give him a helping hand on whatever he may be doing at the moment.  
Hold on, what about washing the windows?  
Smiling to himself, he grabbed a bucket, filled it with water, put in a squirt of soap and stirred it round for a bit before getting a windshield wiper and polish.  
Ten minutes later Gabriel found a familiar cat washing his windows from the outside of his office.  
_"Wasn't he supposed to be doing the laundry?"_ Gabriel thought.  
He opened a window and stuck his head out, "What are you doing?" he asked.  
"The laundry won't be finished washing for another five minutes, I've taken out the trash in your room and now I'm doing your windows Mr Agreste" Adrien explained, _"Wax on, wax off"_ Chat thought, doing the circular motion on the windows.  
Gabriel was bewildered, "You've been in my bathroom?"  
"Uh, yeah, is there an issue?" Chat asked.  
Gabriel hoped to god that the superhero hasn't seen the condoms. He had a reputation to uphold and he really didn't want Chat Noir to think that he does some activity.  
"No" Gabriel replied, "Not at all" he closed the window and went back inside his office to let Chat continue on his work.  
Every since that the very Chat Noir started working as his housekeeper, he thought that he could find some information about him outside of work and think of a plan to steal his Miraculous somehow without getting him suspicious. He also made sure to hide everything Miraculous related locked away behind his portrait of his wife.  
Chat Noir surprised him yesterday by dusting off every single piece of flock of dust on the whole three floors, he couldn't find anything to complain or scold him about so he dismissed the cat for the day. He had given him the task of doing the laundry but the hero had gone beyond his expectations, except for lazing around the laundry, he kept on doing more chores.  
For one thing, the cat was mature and good at following details. Perhaps he is in his late teens or early adulthood? Maybe he can ask Nooroo later if he's still around to get some answers, he had to lock the kwami down in his lair because he would normally be able to fly around his private rooms but now that Chat Noir is working around, he can't just let the kwami be spotted. It'll raise questions and alarm.  
It's only for three weeks anyway.  
Five minutes later, Chat Noir went back to the laundry to put everything in the dryer and by the looks of it, he didn't screw up the colours. When everything was done, he ironed the clothes except for the socks and then made sure that there were no wrinkles before folding everything up and going to the walk in closet to put everything away neatly.  
Half of the closet belonged to his Father, while his Mother's clothes sat on the other side, still and untouched. He picked at the clothes and remembered his Mother wearing some of the skirts and dresses that she liked to wear that remained on the clothes rack, her perfumes in drawers, deodorant and under garments. He smiled softly a bit, and sniffed at the clothes.  
No scent remained on them and he sighed.  
It was no use dwelling on her disappearance so he left the room and went back to washing the rest of the windows.  
He found Natalie later, she was startled by his presence and he smirked at her, his fangs showing before she questioned Gabriel why he was around.  
Once he had done the outside windows, he started doing the inside. His hands and arms ached but he kept going, he wanted to earn his Father's trust.  
In an hour he was done and came back to Gabriel, politely knocking on his Father's office door.  
"Come in" he heard Gabriel call out.  
Chat Noir carefully opened the door and stepped into his office, "Trash is taken out, windows are squeaky clean and polished, laundry washed, dried, ironed and put away neatly in their rightful place" he said.  
"I hope to find them satisfactory" Gabriel replied.  
"Is there anything else I can do for you sir?"  
While Gabriel thought of something, he scanned the hero and came with an idea.  
"Come over here" he motioned and Chat Noir walked over to him, Gabriel stepped back a bit and looked at his body, "You'll do"  
"What?"  
"Stand right there, perfectly still and don't move"  
Gabriel couldn't explain it, but Chat Noir was the same height and body tone of his own son. Maybe he was younger than he thought, but he could be wrong, he knew that transforming hides your identity.  
He grabbed a piece of fabric from his table and put it on the cat anyways, and pinned pieces together. He could purposely pin his suit to irritate the cat kwami but it would make himself look stupid as a fashion designer so he put away the idea and went to work.  
After ten minutes of still silence, Chat Noir spoke.  
"Do you mind if I could whistle?" he asked.  
"As long as its entertaining" Gabriel replied quietly.  
Chat went ahead and started whistling the nyan cat song, Gabriel mentally stuck a pin into his suit and Chat yelped a bit. "Okay okay, what about jazz? Do you like jazz?" he asked.  
An memory of himself and his wife doing the waltz once upon a time popped up in his head, he didn't want to be reminded. "No" he replied.  
Chat hummed, "Disney?"  
Gabriel scoffed, "No"  
"Cartoons? Adventure time?"  
"No"  
"Any TV shows in mind?"  
"Who watches nonsense?" Gabriel frowned at him.  
"No way, no dramas?" Chats eyes widened, _"Oh of course not, especially not after Mother disappeared, that's drama enough"_ he thought before Gabriel gave him a hard glare.  
"Then what do you like?" he asked.  
_"Do I really have to answer that question?"_ Gabriel thought.  
"Classical" he answered.  
"Oh, you read Shakespeare? Osar Wilde?"  
"Who is Oscar Wilde?" Gabriel asked, pinning another piece on him.  
"You don't know? He's famous for his plays, like 'Ideal Husband' and the book 'The Picture of Dorian Gray', also he is know to be the first publicly gay person in society"  
"Really now". All of a sudden, this cat is telling him what he doesn't know.  
"Yeah, I read the Dorian Gray story once, would you like to know what it's about? If it will enlighten you"  
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to listen to him for ten minutes or so.....  
"Alright, go ahead, you may as well while you're standing here" Gabriel sighed, this better be good.  
Chat beamed before talking about the story.  
Gabriel found himself listening to the hero, by the time he had realised it, he had taken in what he had been talking about.  
The story was about a man called Dorian Gray who had beautiful grace in his figure, youth in his skin and features despite his age, one day he had his portrait painted and appreciated that the artist had captured his beauty. He had it hung upon his wall proudly near the fireplace.  
One day, he had met the love of his life, but she wasn't raised in a rich family though she was beautiful, but he only loved her for her beauty and not her acting, also her brother threatened him not to hurt her and if he did so, he would murder him. Sybil, embarrassed, she turned Dorian down and said that her acting was her beauty and he became no interest to her. He tried to get her back but it was too late, she had committed suicide. As the giving man kept on living, he locked the portrait up, one day, a man named Basil was sent to try and fix the portrait and he was horrified, leading to Dorian stabbing him to death. He sent Alan to take the evidence but he committed suicide soon after. Sybil's brother came to track Dorian down but when he found him, he told the man that he couldn't be Dorian's lover that Sybil had eighteen years ago, because he would look old by now and his youth had not disappeared, with an apology the man left. After all this time the portrait that was painted of him reflected what he truly was under his mask of beauty. Not a man of high esteem but a man with guilt and crime in his heart and soul, no matter what he did to try to find love or try to fix anything the way he did, in the end, he destroyed his portrait in anger, thus, killing himself.  
Gabriel gulped at the story. That was not going to be him someday.  
Maybe he should have let him whistle that stupid cat song.  
Though, he must admit, Chat Noir did give a very detailed description of what the story is about. Very impressive, is he raised in a good household as well or is he just good at his stuff? He keeps his back straight, no doubt, he doesn't slouch, always speaks clearly and puts his arms around his back. Like how he taught his son to do, like a proper gentlemen.  
Maybe he had missed the boy somewhere at his fashion shoes or soirées? He'll have to get Natalie look up every blonde boy up from high categories.  
He had finished his work on Chat Noir and was satisfied on how it fit together, now he had to take it all off.  
Chat Noir let the pieces slide off his body and he put everything away, when does his Miraculous ever beep? He probably doesn't start running out of time until he uses his cataclysm.  
"That will be all for day, come back tomorrow" he dismissed.  
It was dark out now.  
"Okay, have a nice evening sir" he gave a small bow and left through one of his windows that he shut shortly after.

He hummed to himself, _"Maybe I can try and get him drunk someday.... And if he refuses, he's underage..."_ Gabriel thought.

_"Someday.... I will find out who you are Chat Noir"_

  
  
  



	3. Day 2

Day 2

Chat Noir went through the open window and found Gabriel playing chess on a small table on his own, sitting in a seat while on the opposite of the table was an empty seat.  
"Need a worthy opponent sir?" he asked, and Gabriels eyes went up from the board and at the cat. He hoped that he would say yes.  
For Gabriel, he was actually hoping that he would ask.  
"Sit down, I'll reset the board"  
"You don't need to" Chat Noir sat down and waved his hands away, "I'll keep going from here"  
Gabriel saw the ring on his finger and looked back at the chess board.  
"So, were your clothes prepared to your liking?" Chat asked, noticing that he was wearing a shirt that he washed the day before.  
"They were at my expectations, you did well"  
_"Oh, I did my work well! Now I get to play a game with my Father, falling in the bushes was so worth it!"_ Chat thought.  
"No work today?"  
"I'm on my break, what about you? Wouldn't you be around on duty with Ladybug?"  
"Me?" Chat was surprised that he even asked, "I patrol with Ladybug at some nights, weekends especially"  
"You two aren't.... Close?"  
"No" Chat let out an honest breath, "Were just.... Friends, yeah, were really close to an extent"  
"An extent?"  
"We don't know each others identities, she made a rule to not reveal ourselves, I understand why she made it and she has great intentions and I hold it too but sometimes there are things that you want to do but can't"  
Interesting, they don't know each other.  
"I think you may have already seen it on the kids TV show, but I actually have a crush on her"  
"My" Gabriel smirked at him and Chat felt his heart leap into his throat, "That explains the news reports, she always seems to reject your affections, especially on the Ladyblog"  
When does Father read the Ladyblog???  
"You read the Ladyblog?" he asked him.  
"Who doesn't? I'm surprised no one noticed that you have previously been leaping through my window, or Ladybug"  
"I think she would scold me a little for landing on your bushes, she has rescued your son a couple of times"  
"Yes, she has, and you have both tried to protect me from that akuma, Simon says"  
"Sorry about that, it was almost a failure, since you almost jumped from that building"  
"And I must thank you for saving my life before that happened, I looked like a fool on TV"  
Chat held back a snigger, "I'm sure you did. Though I didn't see any of it"  
"Good to know" he moved a chess piece. "So, why Ladybug?"  
"I ask myself that question sometimes, why Ladybug? Why not fall in love with a lovely girl in my civilian life? It's all confusing sometimes" he sighed before Gabriel spoke, "It would be a bit hard to manage two lives at the same time if you had a girlfriend as a civilian, but on the good side, it makes it less complicated because she'd understand that you're Chat Noir, however, if you're in love with a hero...."  
"You can't date her"  
"No"  
Chat groaned, "Did you have any problems like this before? Like with your job? Did it ever just come in harms way of any of your relationships?" he moved a piece and removed one, checkmate.  
Gabriel felt a grumble in his chest at the question.  
"Not like you actually need to answer that" Chat added.  
"I'd rather not, I'm a personal man"  
"Sorry, I get it, personal life"  
Chat watched as Gabriel lowed his eyes at him and hear the click of a chess piece that the man moved.  
"You've been in my room"  
"Everyone knows you have a wife and a son. I gave Adrien a wave yesterday when I was washing his windows, and had a lovely Chat with him when I did the inside, he's so nice"  
"I hope that he didn't do anything inappropriate"  
"No! He was very kind to me and gave me some lemonade for my effort, he told me to at least rest a bit" Chat lied swiftly.  
"That's good to know"  
"Is he still in his room?"  
"I'd like to think so"  
"Why?"  
"Why what?"  
"Why is he always in there? Doesn't he have any friends?"  
Chat watched Gabriel's face think carefully, "I think"  
That was a terrible answer.  
"Eh? You don't know?"  
"He has the mayor's daughter for one, he goes to school even at my disapproval"  
Chats face fell, "Yet you're having free time, don't you spend time with him?"  
"What are you getting at" Gabriel almost glared at the cat as he moved his final piece.  
"I'm saying....." Chat decided to pick his words carefully, "You might be the closest person through blood that he loves in the world and you don't spend time with him?"  
Gabriel scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous, I could never handle him, my wife was always better at that than me"  
He picked up the verb 'was'.  
"She's not around..... Is she?"  
Gabriel sighed admittedly, "No, she had a better relationship with Adrien than me, he misses her"  
He doesn't know..... Does he?  
"Mr Agreste, I have no say in how you do family and I'm just saying..... Its a worse feeling when one of the people you love that doesn't spend time with you is alive"  
Gabriel narrowed his eyes at him, "What do you mean?"  
"I mean...... Your wife is in his heart, where ever she may be.... But you're still here, you're around him, but on the other side of the house, not even spending time with him. And he's alone in his room, wondering where his Father is and why he isn't there with him"  
Gabriel was surprised at the hero, what is he, as smart as his own wife? What the heck, he started playing chess to try and get answers from him not get a life lesson.  
"Isn't it painful, knowing that he's in his room, all by himself?" Chat added.  
Chat watched the slow gape on his Father's face, he blinked a bit before taking the information in.  
"What do you suppose I would do?"  
"Take some time to like.... Share a meal with him, or a simple small game, I know you're a busy man but trust me, anything small, anything at all, would be more than wonderful. I'm enjoying myself just playing chess with you, and plus, we're talking, it's not just a chess game, it's bonding"  
"Bonding?" Gabriel almost scoffed at the specially chosen word. Like he'd 'bond' with the hero.  
"Yea- you know....not in a weird way or course"  
A wide grin plastered across Gabriel's face, "No.... Of course not" he moved a piece and took Chats final piece away.  
Oh. Oh!  
Gabriel smiled triumphantly at himself, he had finally beaten Chat Noir at something.  
"You beat me sir" Chat smiled, "Congratulations"  
"Please don't tell me that you let me win" Gabriel hoped that smile wasn't on purpose.  
"Oh, no, you beat me fair and square, you're better at this than me"  
He lost at every akuma, then he plays chess with him and he won. What kind of reality is this. But no mind, he is certainly patting himself on the back later.  
"Another game? Or should I get to work?" Chat asked.  
"No, stay, in exchange for your advice, I'll teach you how to capture a lady's heart"  
Chat felt himself blush, "Really?"  
_"Father is going to teach me how to capture Ladybug?"_ Chat thought.  
"Really, now stop looking at me with those eyes, they look creepy"  
"Eh, sorry"  
"Now" Gabriel let his body relax a bit, "What have you tried?"  
"Well, for one, I use a lot of cat puns"  
"Does she like them....?"  
"No, she says that my puns are terrible"  
"Drop them"  
"What?! They am- _meow_ -zing!"  
Gabriel visually cringed, "If the lady doesn't like it, then drop it, trust me, you'll be pushing her farther away from you"  
"Oh.... Okay" Chat nodded. "So....I call her m'lady, L.B, she likes those nicknames but not bugaboo, she has told me many times not to call her that so I may as well drop that too then"  
Gabriel nodded at that, "Have you even considered confessing your feelings to her?" he asked.  
"Oh yeah" he remembered, "But she likes someone else...." he said dejectedly.  
"So you have some competition" Gabriel smirked at him, "Tell you what, you have to do more than just a confession"  
"How?"  
"Give her flowers, roses, or her favourite, as a bouquet, visually show her how much you love her. Trust me, even if she doesn't like you romantically, you will get a great result"  
Chat hummed, "Okay, thank you" he said softly.

"Tell me how it works out after, then we can properly make a plan of action"

_"What the hell are you doing Gabriel, why are you helping this mangy street cat. Ugh"_  
"You're the expert" Chat gave him a smile of gratitude.  
"Now, someone came in to replace my broken bushes today, I think they should be done by now" Gabriel got up from his seat, Chat got up after him, "From the cost, you still have a lot of work to do"  
"How much did those bushes cost exactly....?" Chat asked slowly.  
"Apparently, those rose bushes belonged to my wife, they were exceedingly rare so I'd say about...."  
Chat stopped him with wide eyes, "I get it, you don't need to tell me. By the sound of it, it's a lot"  
Gabriel then picked up a water bottle from the side table like it was already prepared and gave it to him, "Time to clean the bathrooms"  
"Roger that" Chat smiled with confidence and started walking to Gabriel's bathroom, he may as well start there since it's closest. Only to feel Gabriel behind his back, following him.  
"Erm.... What are you doing?" he asked.  
"If you're starting with my own, I suggest that you wait out the door since I am going to use it first before it gets cleaned"  
"O-of course" Chat felt his ears burn.  
Gabriel smirked at him, "What's the matter, shy?"  
"In your dreams Agreste" Chat crossed his arms defensively, hoping that he didn't see him blush.  
Gabriel's lips twitched before he opened the door to his bathroom and shut it.  
Chat sighed, and tried to relax, he was only his Father after all.  
But the sound that filled his ever sensitive cat ears next had him mentally cursing to himself.  
_"Nooooooooooo! Curse these ears!!! I don't hear my Father doing his business!!!!!"_ he thought, squashing down his leather ears which gave little effect.  
After what felt like a full minute of torment, it finally stopped and he sighed in relief, the man sure had a big bladder. And was met with the sound of a flush and the sink which gave him time to pull himself together.  
By the time s face was slightly pink and Gabriel wanted to laugh at him but gave him a light pat on the shoulder instead before leaving.  
Chat let out another deep sigh and got to work, he found the right equipment under the cabinet and realised that it was simple to do.  
While he worked, he had to admit, the water bottle he gave him was pretty tasty, he didn't think it could be water at first but he shrugged it off.  
As Gabriel stepped into his office, a wide evil grin spread across his face. He had hijacked the water bottle with some vodka in it, it's clear and its unrecognisable, so in time until he had done his job, he will have a drunk Chat Noir ready to spill some beans.  
"Sir, for how long will Chat Noir be here?" Natalie asked.  
"For three weeks Natalie, don't pay mind to him, I'll make sure that he doesn't bother you"  
"He only fell on top of your standard rose bushes sir, they're cheap"  
"And I plan to keep him here long enough to try and get his Miraculous. Keep quiet and do as I say"  
"Yes sir"  
"And....plan some time for me to have breakfast with my son tomorrow, make that a permanent activity"  
Nathalie was surprised at this sudden turn of direction, "Yes sir"  
After the next two hours, Gabriel waited for Chat to get finished, he was eager to see what secrets he could get out of him. The drunker the better.  
He heard a polite knock at his office door, and with a tinge of confusion, he called to let him in.  
"I have finished all of the bathrooms sir!" Chat said triumphantly.  
Gabriel blinked at him, what, didn't he drink the bottle?  
"And thank you for that tasty treat, I finished the whole lot" Chat winked as he let Natalie take it from him. Gabriel felt himself mentally gasp, he drank the whole litre!  
"Then..... You may leave, that's it for now"  
"Alright, then I'll see you tomorrow sir, I must be off for patrol. I enjoyed our game together" Chat opened a window and waved him goodbye before leaping off.  
Gabriel groaned loudly at himself, he isn't a light drinker!  
"Excuse me for a minute" he muttered as he left his office to go and see Nooroo, the small kwami flew down to him and bowed immediately.  
"Nooroo, do Miraculous welders get affected by alcohol when transformed?"  
"No, the suit breaks down the toxins of the alcohol three times faster so you don't get drunk so quickly"  
Gabriel groaned, he should have known.

  
Meanwhile, Chat Noir got a lovely bouquet of flowers for his lady, hoping that his Father's advice would work, he had put together what he is going to say and believed in himself that no matter what happens, he had gotten somewhere.  
He landed behind her, hoping that the roses weren't out of place and prepared himself.  
"Hello Ladybug" he said and Ladybug turned around, to gasp at the roses when she saw them, " _Chat!_ ".  
"I got something for you tonight, they're just as big as my heart and love for you"  
Ladybug received the bouquet with wide eyes and blushed, "Oh you didn't have to do that....." she looked at them, "You're so sweet Chaton....." she said sweetly and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you....."  
Chat sighed as his heart fluttered in his chest, he had to catch his breath, "I know I have competition and I want to let you know that I'm glad that I can at least show you my feelings. I trust you and I know that there will be a time when things will come together, and if its not me, then, I only want you to be happy and that guy is more than super lucky to have you, he'd be an idiot to not see how wonderful you are, you deserve that much"  
She smiled at him, "Thank you Chat, this is such a sweet gesture, I love you too you know"  
Chat felt himself sigh at hearing the words, "Just being with you is more than enough"  
Ladybug carefully put down the roses and pulled him into a hug. "Me too" she whispered.  
Chat treasured the moment, purring all the way as she hugged him and he hugged back with her giggling at his purrs.

  
_"Thank you Mr Agreste"_ Chat thought. 


	4. Day 3

Adrien sighed, he was not coming. 

He sat in the dining room with his breakfast suiting on the table in front of him, waiting for his Father. He woke up this morning with hope that he would have taken in his advice.   
He picked at his food. Maybe not......

Adrien ate his cold breakfast.

At lunch, he didn't come either.

Or dinner.

"Is there something the matter?" Gabriel asked Chat while they played another game of chess.   
"I'm fine" Chat lied.   
"You're not fine, your ears are droopy"   
Chat sighed honestly, "I had a bad day is all"   
"You're not the only one" Gabriel admitted, "I spent half my day frustrated because someone decided to call me on designs that they wanted changes for, it went on for hours, ruined my entire morning"   
Oh.   
"Why so?"   
"I planned to have breakfast with my son"   
A glimmer of hope rose up in his chest.   
"I see" he smiled softly.   
"I realised that I need to be more in control, life isn't always about work, even if it is my passion, from now on I have to keep work and life separate. If people won't let me, I'll make it so" Gabriel picked up a chess piece and moved it.   
"Now, what about Ladybug?"   
"Oh!" Chat remembered, "The flowers worked! She kissed me on the cheek!" he brushed his cheek and blushed as he remembered last night, Gabriel looked quite amused, "She was really taken aback and surprised, in a really good way"   
"Now, what did I tell you"   
"Why didn't I try and give her flowers earlier?"   
"They work every time" Gabriel explained. "Now, from the flowers, it tells me that she has never had a boyfriend before. Flowers only work to impress a young lady"   
"So she is around my age!" he blurted, "Ah, of course, I cannot say anything about my own identity...."   
"I can tell from just flowers Chat Noir. Now, the next step is to try and find out what he'd hobby is, her passion, then you'll know what to give her. Support her, she'll love you for it"   
"Thank you Mr Agreste"   
"No worries. Now, I need you as a dummy again, come to my office"   
"Of course, right away!" they got up and went to his office for work.   
"Oh and, get some coffee from the kitchen for us will you?" Gabriel asked, "I'll get my things ready"   
Chat nodded and walked off.   
Once the door closed, Gabriel went to his portrait and activated the elevator which brought him down to his lair. Time to release an akuma.   
By the time Chat came back with two steaming mugs of coffee and found Gabriel putting his things together.   
"Where should I put them?" he asked.   
"Place them on my table here, they won't be in the way"   
Chat put the coffee on the table and then went to work in standing straight for Gabriel.   
"Hmm..... Now let me see...." Gabriel looked at him to try and figure him out, "I am doing womens dresses at the moment, you're male but you'll do just fine"   
Ten minutes later, someone knocked loudly on the office door.   
"Come in" Gabriel said loudly.   
Ladybug came in, followed with Natalie "Sir, an akuma is attacking Paris-" she suddenly saw Chat with a pinned skirt on, she had to close her mouth and snort "Chat-- You're a masterpiece!"   
"M'lady......!" Chat blushed at the pun, "It's not that funny!" he said as she laughed at him and Gabriel snorted.   
"What are you even doing--wait, Mr Agreste, an akuma is after you!"   
_Ohhhh boy._   
"I'll get this skirt off you then, we better hurry" Gabriel said as he quickly pulled off pins, "Here" he pulled the skirt down and Chat stepped out of them.   
"My son is in his room, I want to make sure that he's safe"   
"Of course, I'll get him in here" Ladybug sped out of the door.   
"Wait!" Chat called out, but she was already gone.   
"Ugh...."   
"What is that all about?" Gabriel asked.   
"Nevermind, I'll go and check the akuma and hold him back, Natalie, you stay here" he said and with Natalie's nod, he jumped out of a window.   
He jumped around back to his bathroom and de-transformed.   
"Adrien!" he heard Ladybug call out to him.   
"I'm here" he opened his bathroom door, and Ladybug sighed of relief, "Akuma is coming for your Father, we have to get to his office!"   
"To my Father?"   
"Yes...?"   
"Well, tell him I'll hide under my bed, I'm safer here. If the Akuma is coming for him then I may get in the middle of a fight if I go and stay with him"   
"Good thinking, I'll tell him not to worry" Ladybug said and gave him a wave after she ran out of his room.  
Phew.   
"So when are you going to tell your Father that you're secretly hanging around him as Chat Noir?" Plagg asked.   
"You're the one who said to keep my identity a secret" Adrien gave him a wedge of cheese, "What has my Father have to do with knowing?"   
"He isn't your partner, there's a difference. Besides, it's your choice and anyway, he doesn't talk to anyone so I doubt that he will spill"   
"Well, yeah, but for now, we better transform!"   
Ladybug fit back to Gabriel's office, the confusion was clear on Gabriel's face. "Where is my son?"   
"Well, he said that since that the Akuma is after you, he found it more safer if he hid under his bed to stay away from an attack"   
"How very clever of him"   
"The Akuma is not too far away, we must attack while he's at a far range LB" Chat appeared at Gabriel's window.   
"Let's go Chat Noir" Ladybug said before turning her head to Gabriel, "Keep safe"   
"Oh and also, I won't have any energy to help you after the battle, I'll double the work tomorrow, I'm sure you understand" Chat explained.   
"Of course, go, you need to hurry"   
With a nod, the two heroes leaped out.   
"So, what is going on with you and Gabriel?" Ladybug asked as they went after the Akuma.   
"Well, I fell on his bushes and crushed them, by accident, and to cover the pay I have been working as his house keeper for the last two days"   
Ladybugs eyes were blown wide in surprise, "YOU WORK FOR GABRIEL, AS A HOU- Chat! You get to go inside his private quarters?!"   
"Yeah" Chat shrugged, "Why?"   
"He's my idol!" she squealed, "Tell me all about it later!"   
Oh. I didn't know you liked fashion. Well, this means that I have an advantage.   
The akuma that Hawkmoth sent out was a simple one, Ladybug used her lucky charm and they captured the akuma before it could reach Gabriel which was an improvement from last time. He didn't even have to use his cataclysm, but he came back home straight away and de-transformed before going to hide under his bed, just to pull it all off. Ladybug was sure to have arrived by now to tell Gabriel that the coast is clear.   
As expected, he heard a knock on the door and he came out of his bed, ruffling his hair just a little bit before opening the door.   
He expected Nathalie, but to his surprise, his Father stood in the doorway instead.   
"Father!" he slightly gasped, "Is it safe? Is the akuma gone?" he asked.   
"It is gone son, you can rest easy now"  
"Oh good!" he let out a convincing sigh of relief, "I'm glad you're untouched"   
Gabriel felt a little hint of love for his son and let a smile slip before he reached down and tried to fix his hair. "You look ridiculous and messy"   
Adrien giggled at the feel of his Fathers fingers in his hair, "Daaaaad, I can do it myseeeelf!" he laughed.   
Gabriel froze. Dad, he called him Dad. He isn't comfortable in being addressed like this. It's rather informal.....   
Adrien noticed this right away and apologised instantly. "Sorry Father.... I didn't know what came over me....... You will not hear of it again"   
Gabriel took his hands off him as he scanned his face, it was blank and his eyes were lowered a bit. His happiness before was swept away from his eyes.   
Maybe..... If Chat Noir was right.....   
"I expect that you have some studying to do, Nathalie told me that you have a test tomorrow, do get a high grade son"   
"Yes Father" Adrien answered unemotionally.   
He left his room and shut the door after him, he walked for a bit before quietly coming back to listen near the door.   
He couldn't be right.   
Because what he heard next broke a few boundaries in his heart.   
His son was crying. There were some sniffles at first but then there were whimpers that joined, before the water broke.

He sounded like he was trying to keep it together but he failed.  
Why the hell is he crying....?  
"Daddy......." Adrien sobbed, "Why do you hate me so much....... Whyyyy....."  
Chat Noir is right. His son..... His son is in pain, and its not his Mother, its him. He's in a breakdown because of him.  
What is he supposed to do? He taught him to suppress his emotions, but it seemed that he had lost that control which meant.....  
His son is overwhelmed. Or maybe he was holding his emotions down for so long....  
He felt his heart shrivel and clench painfully.  
His son loved him, otherwise he wouldn't have called him Dad.  
He hesitated, should he go in and comfort him or....? He didn't know what to do. But he knew that he couldn't leave him like that....  
He could go in, give him a hug, and tell him that he loved him. That was true, but he doesn't show it that much, maybe it was appropriate to, because his boy needs him. It's like Chat said, just do some little things and it'll be worth his while. Maybe try out what his wife used to do.   
Maybe just for..... Five minutes....  
He opened the door like he was opening a new barrier for him, he gasped softly and frowned at Adrien who looked like a complete mess.   
He felt an instinct to come over and hug him without thinking, his arms wrapped around his son, thus surprising himself and Adrien.   
"Um......" he mentally struggled, _"Put yourself together, just..... Do what Émilie does, it can't be that hard...."_ he thought.   
He put one hand around his head and cradled him in his arms. Suddenly, he felt a little warmth and genuine care for him in his heart, it reminded him of when he first held him after he was born.   
He found himself stroking his sons hair, and his boy sniffed happily as he wrapped his arms around him.   
The warmth in his chest grew, he realised that he loved him more than he thought and the affection that Adrien received from him brought that into the light. If he left him now, Adrien would be sad again.   
He couldn't leave him now. He didn't want to let go.   
He loved him, and he wanted him to be happy. It seemed that keeping the relationship that he had with him was much more strained than it seemed.   
Crap.   
Chat Noir was right.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Day 4

Adrien felt really muddled up by last night's event, he felt guilty for crying, he couldn't understand why he wouldn't let him call Father Dad, after leaving him like that he felt like he was being pushed away again, thinking it was all for naught, his body suddenly started crying and once he noticed, he couldn't stop. Don't tell him wrong, he was overjoyed when he came back to comfort him. It was one of the best ten minutes of his life. But then afterwards it felt all awkward.

But it didn't stop him hoping that he'd come to breakfast.  
"Good morning Adrien, I heard your Father scheduled to have his breakfast with you every morning now" the maid came in to set up the cutlery.  
"Really?!" Adrien whispered.  
"Permanently" She nodded.  
His chest screamed, he wanted to dance around but instead he smiled bright, a real smile and not a model one and his eyes gleamed with happiness.  
A moment later their chef came in with their breakfast meals and placed his Father's......at the end of the long table.  
Oh. Oh no..... How could he forget, he only ever sat there! Not like Marinette family or at school, they sat together.  
His excitement died down.  
There was a knock a few minutes later which was the start of breakfast, on the clock and his heart jumped when he saw his Father come in. He turned around and spoke to Natalie first before dismissing her.  
"I don't care Nathalie, this is quality time with my son and I don't want my work interrupting it!" his voice boomed throughout the room.  
"But sir, you have a meeting-"  
"I don't care if there is, schedule them after! There is a time and place for everything and right now I want to be with my boy" he said, his voice turned soft, it seemed that his words hesitated a bit.  
..... Why did he hesitate? Or was he trying to work out his words?  
Gabriel shut the dining room door and turned around, noticing his breakfast placed where it was, he looked at his son, and then back at the plate.  
What is he doing....?  
Gabriel studied his breakfast and then back at his son. Thinking.  
"Place my plate next to my son please" Gabriel said to the chef.  
"Yes sir...." she lifted the tray up and relocated it next to Adrien, Gabriel following after.  
Adrien tried to keep himself together as he took in the fact that his Father was actually going to sit next him..... He could cry all over again.  
His Father, satisfied, dismissed the maid and chef, thanking their work and sat down.  
"Good morning son, how are you feeling?" he asked.  
"I'm......" he tried to pull himself together, "Amazing Father, how are you?"  
Gabriel thought for a moment to choose his words carefully, "Adjusting"  
"To what?"  
There was a smile in Gabriel's lips, "To change"  
Adrien smiled gratefully at him, "I missed you"   
Gabriel's smile dropped, he looked kind of guilty then.   
"I'm glad you're back" Adrien added.   
Gabriel's smile came back up a little and they ate their breakfast in silence, just enjoying each others presence.

Chat Noir hummed as he entered the library window, but then he found Gabriel with a white board hung on the wall, grumbling to himself as he held a marker.   
Curiously, he approached him and his eyes widened at what was on the board, he had to contain his reaction to avoid suspicion. Because well.... The board..... Was a mind map on how to interact with his civilian identity.   
Clearing his throat, "What's going on?"   
"I am trying to work out how to speak and act around my son"   
"Why....?"   
"Because....." Gabriel let out a sigh, "I have no clue on how to look after him, much less be a parent"   
What?!   
"So.....you're telling me.... He's all lonely because.... You don't know how to interact with him?"   
Gabriel felt his pride sink a little, this was Chat Noir of course.   
"In words, yes"   
Oh. My. God. This explains so much.... When he was at breakfast this morning, he was working out what to say. And now.... He's in a bit of a fiddle of working it all out. He never interacted with him because he doesn't know how to talk to him.   
"It seems that.......I have been avoiding him for too long. I rely on my wife for this sort of thing but now I'm lost in the woods. It's my fault, I made him cry"   
What are you doing Gabriel. Why are you sharing so much to this cat. You're going mad.   
"Hey" Chat said softly, "It's alright to speak out a little. Besides, I'm around his age, I can help"   
But maybe..... This cat.... Isn't so bad....  
Gabriel gave him a marker and the hero took a look at the mind map.   
"Do you don't know what his interests are, or his favourite things" Chat spoke out loud.   
"I have been trying to see if I could squeeze in a daily activity with him. Maybe on the weekend when my schedule is much clearer, I'm far too busy during the week with my work early morning to the afternoons"   
"Well, you could get to know him, who doesn't like movie nights?"   
"Movie nights?"   
"Everyone loves movie nights, trust me, they are good for some rest on a Friday or Saturday night"   
Gabriel hummed, "I do not approve of popcorn"   
"It doesn't have to be popcorn"   
Gabriel's eyebrows rose with interest, "Are there any different activities?"   
"Oh! Here is a classic one, you can build a fort"   
Gabriel lowered his eyes a bit, "What is a fort?"   
"It's a collection of chairs, pillows, doonas and sheets and make a little cubby house. It's fun to build one"   
"Oh"   
"Even, if you ever ran out of ideas for designs, you could always ask him if he has any, let him look at them, you never know if his ideas could come in handy. Even, he might be even interested in what you do"   
They started putting things together on the mind map and eventually they had big ideas on the white board that was expanded in some areas.   
"I had no idea that having a son was so much work....."   
"Well, imagine his side. Having piano lessons, Chinese classes and modelling when he has never asked for them. Told what to do and what he can't do...... "   
Gabriel couldn't imagine.... He must ask him about it then.   
For one thing, he leaned to be more honest.   
"........ Thank you Chat Noir" he breathed.   
Chat turned to him in surprise.   
"You have been a good fellow to me" Gabriel bit his tongue admitting that.   
He saw the hero smile to himself, "You too. You are great company"   
"Do you do this with everyone?"   
"No" Chat admitted, "You're the only citizen that I spend so much time with other than Ladybug"   
Gabriel gave him a pat on the shoulder as they stood together side by side, the hero smiled at him.   
It's almost been a bloody week and he is already friends with the cat. He's right about another thing, little things do make big stuff, like gaining a friend. It makes him........ Happy....   
"I hope things get along with you and your son" Chat added.   
"I hope I don't screw this up"   
Chat laughed at him.   
When the cat finally left, he mentally groaned to himself. What are you doing Agreste....? You haven't gotten anywhere to getting his Miraculous.....   
He'd have to try again tomorrow.   
He set out an akuma at one o clock in the morning to wear out the heroes.   
They were very annoyed and sleepy.   
  
  


He had to admit, it was cruel. 

...... Good then. 


	6. Day 5

Day 5

"I need you to take some photos of Paris" Gabriel said before giving Chat Noir a large professional camera, "Take this camera, do. Not. Drop. It. Its expensive, as a person who can get to high places, you can get the best shots. I need them as inspiration for my new work"  
"You want me to take pictures? But, don't you think that you would find some inspiration by going out there yourself? You get more information through your senses that way"   
"Yes, but I am a busy man, I will attract attention either way and I cannot afford myself to be distracted"   
"Distracted....?"   
"Please don't ask"   
Chat thought for a moment, "Have you tried a disguise?"   
"Well..... No, and you certainly cannot go out without attracting attention yourself"   
"I can de transform, put on a disguise, and only transform for travel in high places. And then no one will know its us"   
Gabriels chest thrummed at the suggestion, Chat Noir would be out of his suit! This was the perfect opportunity to try and get some clues!   
"Good idea, we can do that. I cannot remember the last time I could go out without being mobbed"   
"Ugh, that doesn't sound nice. You deserve personal space and freedom, you go and put on a convincing disguise while I'll go and get myself prepared" Chat put the camera on the table and leaped out of the window.   
Once he got into his room, he took his clothes off to replace his jeans with black ones, his shoes with green vans instead of the Gabriel made ones, a black hoodie with enough coverage of his face and a mask that covered half his face. With some final touches, he put his hair in a ponytail and hairsprayed his fringe back.   
"Do I look like me?" Adrien asked Plagg, his voice muffled a bit because of the mask.   
"Nope! Your voice is muffled and you can't tell us you unless if you look in the eyes"   
"I'll have to drop eye contact then. Either way, it's all good" he put his clothes away. "Let's go"   
"Anything for eight wheels a day"   
"It's because of your complaining, Plagg, Claws Out!" 

  
Chat went back to the office window and caught sight of Gabriel. He almost fell over himself, because Gabriel's disguise was genius.   
His hair was combed down which took his identity away, his fringe combed to the side, he changed his clothes to some casual pants and shoes along with a sweater and tie. The glasses were gone and replaced with contacts.   
Also.......   
He had a moustache.   
He really tried not to laugh. His face was red in colour and almost fell over.   
"I can assume that I have a very good disguise then" Gabriel frowned at the laughing hero.   
"It's perfect!" Chat blasted, wow, he really had to calm down. "You are really good!"   
"Thank you, do you think that the moustache is a bit much?"   
"No. I think it's because I know it's you, you look like someone else so that's what we're looking for" the change of subject calmed him down.   
"Now, would you like me to take you down somewhere or shall we walk?" he asked while he grabbed the camera from the table and put the lenard around his neck.   
"I suggest we walk"  
"Alright then, I'll de transform"   
Gabriel held his breath.   
"Claws in" Chat whispered and a bright green light filled him as he turned back into his civilian self, Plagg appeared beside him.   
Gabriel frowned, his identity was not visible. But his kwami was a black cat with green eyes.   
"Where's my fifth wheel of cheese?!" Plagg complained, surprising Gabriel.   
His kwami eats cheese, that's a start.   
Adrien groaned and got a wedge from his pocket, "Here's your stinky caremebert, sorry about him, he's responsible for turning me into Chat Noir and demands a lot of cheese"   
Carmembert. It's expensive, no normal commoner would be able to afford it, and it's the fifth wheel, he had to be rich.   
"No problem. I assume that you keep him out of sight" Gabriel replied as Plagg zipped into Chat Noir's pocket to munch on his food.   
"What shall I address you as?"   
Chat hummed in thought, "I'll go for Archie, and you?"   
"Call me Hector then"   
"Wow, you do make a nice Hector, good decision"  
"Thank you"   
"Then let's head out shall we?"   
"Let's go"   
They walked out of the office and caught sight of Natalie who narrowed her eyes at Gabriel in surprise, but they swiftly went out the front door without any problems.   
Gabriel felt the sun hit his skin for the first time in a while, and it let him breathe a little.   
They walked for a bit to go to the Louve as their first destination.   
"I remembered to bring my wallet just in case" Gabriel mentioned.   
"Nice Dad, er, we are in character, I can call you Dad right?" he asked as he watched Gabriel's furrowed expression.   
"Uncle?"   
"Uncle is better"   
"Sorry if that made you a bit uncomfortable"   
"No. It was a little but its not my intention to make you feel bad"  
"So, why do you feel weird when you're addressed like that?"   
Gabriel sighed, more questions.   
"When my wife and I got married, we were trying for a child, but she had three miscarriages, she couldn't hold the pregnancy after two weeks"  
Oh wow. Really?   
"So when we had Adrien, my son, he was a Miracle. The moment, for me, as a young man, I was filled with the beautiful emotion called love"   
Adrien felt his heart warm up at hearing the words.   
"But at the same time, I had no idea how to raise a child. I still don't"   
"Well, every child is different, none of us come with a manual right? It doesn't matter what you do, you don't know how she or he will feel about it and grow from it"   
"Exactly. So that's why I feel a bit off when I am addressed like that, I don't even know if I am doing a good job or a terrible one. Or whether I'm worthy of being a Dad, my wife was always good at that sort of thing so I depended on her on that stuff but ever since she disappeared, I've been lost in the woods"  
Adrien smiled, "I'm always here to help if you need any"   
"That's very kind of you Archie"   
"You know, you're never alone"   
Gabriel didn't know how to react to that.   
Anyway, onto phrase one.

  
He took a peek at Chat Noirs ring and then looked away immediately. The ring..... Is just like his own sons! But he can't be his son, he has seen them both together. Could it have been a trick...? No, no way, he knows his son, he would have known. Also, he's wearing such cheap clothes, Adrien couldn't possibly own such clothes without his permission.   
Hang on, that's a problem there is it? Should he have freedom to choose his own clothes?   
Hmm... He'd have to ask about that.  
"You seem young" he said.   
"I'm around your sons age"  
"I'm learning from someone younger than me, you must be very wise to have gained the role of a hero"   
Adrien chuckled, "I doubt that" and his kwami bit him in the side from his pocket which made him grunt. "Owww!"   
"Are you alright?"   
"I'm okay, my kwami just bit me for that comment. He's very grouchy, all he does is sleep and eat cheese all the time. He's not very good with advice either"   
Plagg bit him again and he yelped.   
Hell have to pay that in mind when he gets that Miraculous in the future.   
"Your clothes stink" Plagg complained, sticking his head out of Adrien's pocket.   
"Get used to it"   
Plagg then turned to Gabriel, "See? I'm a god and this is how he treats me" he squawked. "He also uses me to spend time washing your dirty laundry and see your condoms!"   
"Keep your head down Plagg!" Adrien coughed awkwardly while Gabriel just blushed, "Sorry about him"   
"If your clothes bother him so much, he can sleep in my fine cotton blazer"   
"I couldn't! ...... He leaves cheese crumbs everywhere...." Adrien pulled out his pockets to demonstrate the cheese crumbs everywhere to demonstrate his point.   
"Seeing that you'll be cleaning them later I don't see a downside"   
Adrien rolled his eyes at him, his... Green eyes, and Plagg laughed a little at him.   
"If that's okay......"   
"Plagg, if you like to, my clothes are much cleaner and much more suited to your rank of role"   
Plagg came out and scanned the man before resting himself in one of Gabriel's deep pockets, sighing, the kwami squirmed a bit. "This man knows how to treat me well! I'll make myself comfortable in here"

Adrien grumbled while Gabriel smiled to himself, he got a little trust from the kwami, good.  
"Let's go" Chat said as they were approaching the louve.   
As they did, Chat skidded to a halt. "Uh oh..."   
"What?" Gabriel asked and then the boy pointed to a bundle of friends hanging around, there stood that DJ boy that he banished out of his house, the Ladyblogger Alya and the girl Marinette Dupain Cheng who entered into one of his competitions with a hat, impressive girl.   
"What is the matter?"   
"They know me as my civillian identity so we are going to just...... Avoid them best as possible"   
"The Ladyblogger must be much more obsessed with you" Gabriel said but he was curious to see if they could recognise him.   
He remembered that the DJ person is Adrien's best friend in his class so...... His son might know Chat Noir up close....! Might they be in the same class.... Or perhaps the same school!   
And..... Marinette looks like Ladybug....   
"Let's just take some pictures. I'll have to transform quickly, what would you like me to do?" Chat lifted up his camera.   
Gabriel let himself see the louve through his own eyes, "Get as high as you can, see if you can take in many scales of the louve at different areas"   
"Okay, roger that" He quickly transformed and leaped off with the ever expensive camera.   
Just as he leaped away he heard Alya squeal and run after him, and then she turned to him. Crap.   
With her following after, they came straight to Gabriel.   
Crap crap crap crap. What do I do? What do I say? Just be nice...... Pretend that you're not Gabriel.   
"Chat Noir transformed right next to you!!! Do you know him personally?!" Alya asked, her phone raised. Marinette and that dj person looked at each other.   
Gabriel grumbled, he never liked to be filmed so he swiftly turned off the phone despite Alya protests." Heeeeeeyy!"  
"Chat Noir is a friend of mine, he is helping me with an errand, I would prefer it that you would leave us be"   
Marinette stepped forward, "Hold on...... You're Gabriel Agreste!"   
Gabriel's face scrunched up in the face of defeat.   
"Dude..... You don't look like Agreste...." Nino came up.   
Marinette giggled, "That's a really good disguise"   
"You have a very good eye miss Dupain-Cheng" Gabriel commented before lowering his eyes at Nino.   
"Erm.... Yep, that's Agreste for sure. I always remember that look..... Sir." Nino said nervously.   
"Why are you in disguise?" Alya asked.   
"Why do you think? To not get any attention"   
"Hey guys" Chat leaped down, "Don't bother the man. He's working and we'd appreciate it if you leave us in peace"   
"Hey Chat Noir!" Alya said, and Marinette put down Alya's phone as she tried to use it.   
"Did you take the photos?" Gabriel asked.   
"Yeah I did. Maybe it would be a nice idea to go inside and see what history Paris has, past present and maybe.... Future? Just a thought"   
"Good idea Chat Noir"   
"Now if you excuse us..... The man is very busy"   
"Of course. We wouldn't want to intrude in your outing" Marinette said kindly, as she always is.   
"Thank you" Chat said before he redirected Gabriel and de transformed when it was safe when they got inside the louve.   
"We can't take pictures inside but we have our memory" Chat said as they walked around slowly.   
"Can I take a look at the photos?"   
"Sure, here" Chat passed the camera over and Gabriel went through the photos.   
They were..... Most impressive, he does know his good views.   
"These......" he started but he thought of some praises, how can he praise someone? He's always been so cold..... Maybe....   
"These are excellent, thank you"   
Chat Noirs heart warmed at the praise, he had to admit, he was surprised. "Thank you......"   
That. Strangely..... Made him feel good.... Like.... There was some warmth in that response in return.   
He was right. The little things make big ones, he didn't say that they give you a little something back.   
He got a glimpse of half of his face under that hood, his face was full of awe. He gave the camera back and they silently kept on walking.   
He didn't want to admit it, he didn't even want to ask about it. Ugh. He does not like Chat Noir, not one hair of him. Stupid feelings were corrupting him.   
Chat thought to leave him alone, because he didn't know how he would react if he asked.   
But he hoped that his Father was turning in the right direction.   
Gabriel felt Plagg, cosy and asleep in his pocket while Nooroo hid in his inside blazer pocket. Hoping now that they can't sense each other. So.... So close....   
They silently went through the louve and Gabriel took down some notes without any problems before they scurried through the city's main attractions for the rest of the night.   
"Shouldn't you go home? Aren't there anybody that must be waiting for you?" Gabriel asked.   
"Err.....no. I don't"   
"You're alone?"   
"Not exactly...... My mother is gone and my Father is distant from me......" it wasn't completely honest but he hoped that Gabriel would look at the situation at the different light. "Knowing my Father.... I don't think he'd be worried about me"   
"Why not?"   
"Well....... We barely communicate. I don't..... I don't know if he cares about me or if he likes me at all. He kind of treats me like some employee or something. When you meet him, the room becomes cold, and you have to follow what he says unless if you don't..... You have strict consequences, like no more school and I love it, he doesn't see my end of things. It's just that.... He makes it hard for me to see if he loves me"  
Looking at his expression, Gabriel frowned, "How unfortunate. He doesn't spend time with you?   
" No" the boy shook his head sadly.   
"Your Father sounds closed minded. I'm aware that I have been cold, but that sounds ridiculous, does he work?"   
"A lot, so much he doesn't have time for me"   
Kind of like himself...... Good thing he has a good hero to advise him.   
"I may not have a good relationship with my Father but..... You're good company. I'm glad I could give you advice, I could see myself in your son"  
"Thank you for it Chat Noir"   
Oh the irony.   
They kept on walking with thoughts settling in Gabriel's mind, his Father sounds sad..... I shouldn't fall that far, its no good for a young man's heart. A son should have his Father.   
"Hey" Gabriel said softly and the cat looked up.   
"It's no coincidence that you fell on my bushes, you have shown me the error of my ways and for that I thank you. In the end, there is no pride needed, just love, for me, and for my son. A balance"   
Chat Noir's mouth was slightly agape before he replied, "Always admit when you're wrong sir, that way you can go up a step forward, and there is no bad in expressing things"   
Gabriel smiled at him, "Don't call me sir Chat Noir. Call me Gabriel"   
"Gabriel....." Chat said his name softly.   
"I hope things turn out for you and your Father"   
"Me too, for you. That's what friends do right?   
Friends.......   
"Yeah" he looked to the sky, "It's getting late. We should be getting back"   
"I'll take the short way, I'll carry you" Chat suggested.   
"I better get home anyway" Gabriel said and let Chat Noir transform and carry him back home. Gabriel felt the wind rush along his skin before Chat Noir leaped in front of his home, he got out of his arms and waved him goodbye for the night.   
Friends.... He had made friends with that cat.... What is he thinking?   
Nooroo all but nuzzled knowingly at him and he ignored the kwami.   
He couldn't ignore the fact that he liked the cat.   
Friends.....   
What is going on.....   
He is so confused. There's so much going on.   
He decided to sleep on it. But it kept him up all night, thinking.   
"Nooroo...... What's going on with me?"   
The kwami flew from his hiding spot in his side drawer and hovered over his master.   
"You're feeling some gratitude Master. He has helped you, being stuck in here has closed you off from many things, and now he's opening the doors for you to realise the wrongs You have done and how to fix them, but in order to do so, you must open your heart. And embrace good people and new changes. He's a good influence on you"

"Ugh. As much as I don't want to admit it..... He's a good person. I never realised that so little actions can give me some light in return and I like it, why do I like it?"

Nooroo hummed for a moment, "Positive change can bring influence on your heart which brings a chain reaction to your actions" 

Gabriel realised that the kwami was right, when his wife went brain dead he locked his son away and started bringing terror on the city, doing so slowly tore himself and his sons relationship, but now with Chat Noir in the picture, he is reversing it all. 

"Can this change ever take away my pain?" he asked. 

"If you let it" 

No...... He's not going to let his wife go, he refuses. He loves her and will do anything to get her back. 

_I will keep fighting to get his Miraculous._

_Whatever it takes._

  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  



	7. Day 6

Day 6

_Soft skin, sweat, and..... Hands....._   
_Those are Émilies hands, he remembers. He finds himself connected with her, his wife below him between the sex scented air._   
_"This time..... He will come to us" She spoke._   
_"He?" he found himself asking._   
_She nodded with a hum, "Adrien"_   
_"Adrien" he whispered before they did their lucky charm, whilst holding her hands he bent down to kiss her stomach where their baby would grow._   
_As he lifted his head up, he held her hands tight, all the while wearing the butterfly Miraculous around his ankle without her knowing._   
_This time....._

  
He woke up on his office desk with sketches all scattered around him. Rubbing his eyes from under his glasses, he noticed Chat Noir sitting next to him as he was looking at the photos that they took the day before and then picking up an extra pencil and sketching something on a scrap piece of paper.   
"What are you doing?" he asked and Chat immediately turned to him, "Ah, I'm not so good at drawing but I thought to put down my own ideas for you, from a younger person's view. I thought that they would be useful"   
"Anything is useful Chat Noir. Let me take a look" he picked one up, and smiled softly, looking at the sketches, which were terrible but he suppressed a little chuckle which would have been rude. The rest of the papers were written lists which he took aside him, "Those are very helpful"   
"Yeaaaahh, my drawings are really bad aren't they?"   
"They remind me of Adrien's drawings when he was a child"   
Chat coughed uncomfortably, blushing.   
"Speaking of which, you look a bit like him" Gabriel said honestly.   
"Ahahahaha" Chat laughed nervously, "I may be, but I'm not like him, I'm so messy, you should see my room" he lied.   
"Though you pay attention to detail, I've seen my clothes. Are they in the washing?"   
"Yeah, I did that first and you were asleep so...."   
"Any help is better than none Chat Noir. I have learned that from you at least"   
Chat smiled at him gratefully.   
"Well, there is no need to stay for long, I am going to invite my son for a nice activity"   
"Oh! Then I better get going and finish that laundry" Chat got up while Gabriel got up as well to gather his sketches. When he did, he saw Chat Noir's face scrunch up in a freaked out way, turning his face away from him, Gabriel didn't know what was going on.   
"After you're done with your work you may have to fix the after affects of your dreams when you were asleep" The hero all but blushed and Gabriel wondered what the heck he was talking about, until he looked down..... Oh.   
He grinned, "Come on now, its normal, are you a virgin or something?"   
"That's not entirely the point!! I thought you had a repetition which kind of includes not making yourself seem a little....... Active?"   
"You are in my private rooms and yet.... Here we are"   
"Please sir, I have not had 'the talk' with any of my parents. Just spare my innocence" Chat shuddered, "Excuse me" he ran politely, a red blush spreading through his face.   
Hmm..... He hadn't had the talk..... He must be at least fourteen years old. Bingo. And....   
He sighed as he looked upon himself, he better get rid of it before he invites his son to anything, it won't look good for him. Damn dream.   
The cat left after he finished the laundry and bid Gabriel goodbye.   
"Oh, Chat Noir. One last thing"   
"Yes?"   
"What movie do you recommend?" he asked.   
"Erm...... There is one that is highly recommended, it is the highest rating Disney movie, a live action one"   
"What is it called?"   
"Why don't I give you a clue? On Monday you can tell me if you got it right or not"   
He smiled at him, well this is going to be fun.   
"Try me"   
Chat settled down on the window and gave him a clue.

  
_"Wind's in the east,_  
 _mist comin' in._  
 _Like something is brewin',_  
 _about to begin_  
 _Can't put me finger,_  
 _on what lies in store_  
 _But I feel what's to happen,_  
 _all happened before"_

With a nod, the cat leaped away.   
Gabriel hummed to himself, was that a riddle? Who knows, he'll have to look it up.   
He asked Natalie and she gave him a copy of the movie Mary Poppins. This better be good.   
So he came up to Adrien door and knocked, Adrien opened it to find himself quite surprised.   
"Father?"   
"I am going to watch a movie, I was wondering if you would like to join me"   
"Oh!" Adrien gasped happily and it brought him warmth to his heart, "Would you like to use my TV?" he asked, his door was now pushed wide open.   
"If that will be suitable for you"   
"Of course, come in Father I'd love to join you! Erm.... Should we have any snacks?" he asked as he let Gabriel in his room.   
"I have our chef to bring some things in while we watch"   
"Awesome!" his son was almost dancing on his toes, "What are we going to watch?!"   
"Here" he handed over a bluray copy of the Mary Poppins movie, "Oh, I haven't seen this but I heard it's good!"   
They got themselves comfortable on Adrien's couch and he let his son sit a comfortable space beside him. They started up the movie, closed the curtains of Adrien's windows and started watching.

  
Gabriel immediately took notice that it was sort of a musical and saw a bit of himself in the Father, Mr Banks, and well agreed with his views that he should mould his children right into people prepared for their futures in the world.   
But the children never had their Father with them all the time, they seemed eager for attention especially at their age. But they had their Nanny and Bert, with that ridiculous English accent. Thank goodness for French subtitles.   
Like himself he knew Mr Banks mind like he would do with Adrien, to shape him as the heir of his company.

_"Speaking of names, I know a man with a wooden leg named Smith"_   
_"What's the name of his other leg? Wasn't that funny? What's the name of his other--"_

Gabriel couldn't stop the snigger that left his lips while Adrien frowned, he clearly didn't get the joke. He understood the message the movie gave him but it seemed that Adrien was frowning every time Mr Banks came up talking about his children. Huh. What doesn't he get?

Supercalifragilisticexpilaidocious is an insane word.

But he found himself, through many songs that Adrien was humming to them and they ended up in a position in which his arm was around Adrien and his son was rested against him. It felt nice....

He liked how the movie was going.

Until this came up, when the children ran away from their Father. 

_"Well, now, there must be some mistake. Your dad's a fine gentleman and he loves ya!"_   
_"I don't think so. You should've seen the look on his face"_   
_"He doesn't like us at all....."_

Gabriels face dropped, so did Adriens.

_"Now that doesn't seem likely, does it?"_   
_"It's true"_   
_"Let's sit down. You know, begging your pardon, but the one my heart goes out to is your father"_

Erm..... Pardon?

_"There he is in that cold, heartless bank day after day, hemmed in by mounds of cold, heartless_   
_money. I don't like to see any living thing caged up"_   
_"Father, in a cage?"_   
_"They makes cages in all sizes and shapes, you know. Bank-shaped some of 'em, carpets and_   
_all"_

What?

_"Father's not in trouble. We are"_

What? Adrien's not the one in trouble.....? I'm not doing anything wrong? He guessed.

_"Oh, sure about that, are you? Look at it this way. You've got your mother to look after you. And_   
_Mary Poppins, and Constable Jones and me. Who looks after your father? Tell me that. When_   
_something terrible happens, what does he do? Fends for himself, he does. Who does he tell_   
_about it? No one! Don't blab his troubles at home. He just pushes on at his job, uncomplaining_   
_and alone and silent"_

The realisation hit him.

Oh.......oh that darn cat..... But what does he know? Is that why he's helping him?

He paused the movie, when he realised that Adrien got it too.

His son was crying.

"Adrien.....?" he spoke.

  
His son sniffed as the tears streamed down his face, "Is it true....? Have you aways been so cold because of Mother....? Is it why you have always been shutting me out?" 

His heart dropped. 

He didn't know what to say. 

"I didn't realise......." 

His son sniffed hard, "He's right..... Who do you have at your side? No one......Mum is gone.... Isn't your story worse than my own? Aren't you not just by yourself? Mum is gone.... Your wife is gone....."

Gabriel pulled him into a hug, "Oh..... Adrien, don't you worry about me...... You need happiness more than I do" 

"No...... It's not me that needs to be saved, it's you" 

 

_From the clutches of Hawkmoth,_ Gabriel thought. 

 

"Let's watch the rest of the movie" he suggested and pressed play on the remote. 

Mr Banks was sacked and humiliated by his bank, as Bert went on, he spoke of Chat Noir's advice but in a different way, but some more additional to that. 

If he closed off his son long enough, it would have been to late to fix their relationship. 

A spoonful of sugar goes a long way indeed. 

 

_"With tuppence for paper and strings,_

_You can have your own set of wings_

_With your feet on the ground_

_You're a bird in a flight_

_With your fist holding tight_

_To the string of your kite_

 

_Oh oh oh_

_Let's go fly a kite_

_Up to the highest height_

_Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring_

_Up through the atmosphere_

_Up where the air is clear_

_Oh, let's go fly a kite_

 

_When you send it flyin' up there_

_All at once you're lighter than air_

_You can dance on the breeze_

_Over 'ouses and trees_

_With your fist 'olding tight_

_To the string of your kite_

 

_Oh oh oh_

_Let's go fly a kite_

_Up to the highest height_

_Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring_

_Up through the atmosphere_

_Up where the air is clear_

_Oh, let's go, fly a kite!"_

 

He watched his son smile at the song and the Father break free. With, his job given back. 

Now he knows why Chat Noir gave him this movie. 

 

He sighed at the end of the movie before Adrien turned to him, plates on the coffee table empty. 

"Father....." Adrien said with tears in his, he swallowed his saliva. 

"Please answer honestly"

There was a pause. 

"Are you alone without Mother?" 

His heart swelled as he looked away. 

 

_I do. I do..... I miss her so much you have no idea._

 

"Father....?" 

Clenching his teeth, he got up from the couch and went out his room, Adrien following after quickly. 

"Father please!" he heard him call out. 

He shut the door in his face. Unable to face to music. 

 

He can't do it. He can't admit it. He loves Émilie, but he can't let his son in. 

"Father please!" he heard Adrien knock on the door, "Let me out!" 

He pushed it down hard and locked it on the outside. 

 

Not now. I'm not ready son. 

 

He left, he left his boy. 

 

_I must contain myself, he thought. I'm not that weak, conceal, don't feel......_

 

_Don't feel Gabriel Agreste. Don't show weakness._

  
_Please........don't break me._  


	8. Day 7-9

Day 7

He had his mind focused on work to keep his mind off the night before. Chat Noir stood as a dummy again, looking concerned.

_"He shut me out..... And he didn't even show up for breakfast.....yesterday or this morning.. ."_ Adrien thought sadly. Today is Monday, as Sunday was a day off, he came back on Monday.

"What's the matter with you?" Gabriel said coldly.  
"Well erm.....I watched that movie last night and...."  
"Do not speak of it, I have no time for such emotions in my professional activities" Gabriel replied with his stone cold emotion.   
_He's back._ Chat sighed sadly.   
As the man stiffly took his pieces off Chat Noir, he dismissed him.   
"You have done enough. You may leave, do not come to me again in this manner"   
"What.....? You're discarding me?"   
"I have no need for your services any longer"   
Chat was visually taken aback, "But I thought...."   
"You thought wrong" Gabriel glared at the cat and the hero's cat ears drooped.

There was a moment before he spoke again, "Do you hate me.....?"   
Gabriel gasped. The scene from the movie flashed into his memory.   
"Are you pushing me away....?" tears appeared in his eyes. "I thought we were friends..... And I like being with you.....I wanted...." he sniffed.   
_He's making things worse,_ he realised. But this time he feels horrible as he watched his friend cower sadly from his rejection.

No. He has been making him feel this way, so he can let go of Émilie.   
That's right. This cat has been playing him all along. How dare he.   
"Leave. Now"   
"Oh......" Chats tail limped sadly, "Now?"   
"Now!" Gabriel's voice boomed.   
Chat whimpered pathetically and walked slowly towards the window to where he hoped that that cat would never come through again.   
Looking back one more time, the cat left.

_He's gone._   
_Good riddance._

_Then..... Why does he feel so bad....?_

The days went by.   
The house was empty once again.   
And his son, his photoshoots all failed. He scolded him for it but he surprised him with a cold stoned glare, his son didn't care, he just refused to listen and shut himself in his room.   
The afternoons became dull because there was no cat in the house. The chess game was left untouched.

The he realised that he had nobody to attend to his laundry for another two weeks and getting a replacement was only going to take longer.

_Shit._

_He doesn't miss him. No way._

Another three days passed.

_No no no no no......_   
_He didn't miss that mangy cat. No way._   
_No....._

He had vented out his anger on Chat Noir, and it reserved everything he had done. So little changed so much, his friends trust, ruined. 

_What have I done.....?_

He had made the stupidest mistake in the universe. And he had to make it up to both his son and Chat Noir.   
But how?

"Son? Are you present?" Gabriel asked once he knocked on Adriens door.   
"Go away!" He heard Adrien shout coldly.   
"Son.... Please.... I want to talk to you"   
"Go. Away!" Adrien repeated, louder this time.   
He sighed. He is really regretting this now.   
"Adrien...... I'm sorry..... I'm sorry I shut you out, just please let me speak"   
There was a moment before the door finally opened and Adrien popped his head out of the door.   
"Make it quick"   
"Adrien......" he had prepared a speech but his emotions got the better of him, he grabbed his son right and hugged him.   
"I'm sorry...... I'm sorry I pushed you away..... You're my son and I love you, I'm sorry it took me so long to realise how much I was hurting you and that you were trying to help me..... I wasn't ready. I never....." he sniffed, "Just please don't shut me away..... Chat Noir left because of my foolish actions and I have made everything worse. You have no idea how much I miss your mother, it seems like yesterday that she went missing" he started breaking up, but is it worth it?  
"My stupid pride got the better of me, and I was afraid of opening up. I just don't know what to do...."   
"Dad"   
His eyes flew open to see his son smiling up him.   
"No one's perfect"  
Adrien put his comforting arms around him.   
"Thank you for telling me and being honest...... I miss Mum too. But that doesn't mean that we won't stick together.... Right?"   
Adrien snuggled up close. "I love you too Dad. Flaws and all, I ain't perfect either. And nothing is going to change that"   
Gabriel had to take his glasses off because they were getting foggy. He dropped down to his knees so he could properly hug his son, crying all the while.  
By the time he blinked his eyes, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders and breathed new air.

Now what about Chat Noir?

_He's my friend......_

He sat in his library thinking about what to do, and how to contact Chat Noir.   
He moved a chess piece by himself, and sighed.   
It was lonely without him.

"Hey sir"

His eyes flew open and he looked up to see a familiar mangy cat.   
"A little bird told me that you missed me" Chat smiled down at him.   
Hugs legs automatically pushed him up, "Chat Noir!" he said before hugging him. "Oh.... I'm so sorry my dear friend......"   
"I was hoping that you'd come through, Ladybug wouldn't stop fussing over me"  
"You had faith in me....?" his voice wavered.   
"I always did. You're my friend"   
Gabriel patted his back.

It was great to have him back.

_From now on, I will make things better the right way._

_I will get Émilie back and we can be a family again._


	9. Day 14

Gabriel woke up the next morning feeling better, but the empty space beside him still lingered painfully in his heart.

He head already let Adrien in, there was no turning back now. But what can he do? His best.  
He swiftly went through his morning routine and then got to work, it was six am in the morning so he won't have breakfast until Adrien wakes up.  
As he met the portrait of his wife, he felt himself speak. "Our boy is growing up"  
For sure, he wanted to look after his Father. Their relationship was being sewn together with their own handiwork, it was mostly Adrien's ever since he figured out why he was being so drawn away, but he has Chat Noir to help him.  
Chat Noir.... His good friend.  
The first one in a very long time.   
"Sir, you have a meeting in half an hour today"   
"Thank you Natalie" Gabriel received the tablet from Natalie's hands and scrolled through it's contents about the meeting.   
"If there is nothing else to do...." Gabriel scanned Natalie, she was always so expressionless but he figured, what the hell, is there a happy woman inside that shell? He never let her express an inch of emotion.   
"Take the day off, my treat"   
He had to pack himself on the back later when the woman gasped in surprise, "What about your son sir?"   
"I will attend to him in your place. Rest your shoulders, relax, and come back tomorrow" He gave the tablet back to her with a warm smile, "You have served me for many good years, and I haven't thanked you for them, stretch yourself out, relax, catch up with some friends and come back, I like to see a smile on that face of yours"   
"Is.... That an order?" she asked.   
"No, it is a request"   
"Erm...... Then.... Thank you sir"   
"Have a nice day"   
Natalie softly smiled and left the house with somewhat brighter spirits.   
Things.... Are changing in a good way.   
He got to work.   
Adrien woke up feeling better, but he was eager to meet his Father at breakfast so he got dressed, his kwami fed with a wheel of camembert and he cleaned up his room a bit.   
Then, as expected every morning, Natalie would knock on his door for breakfast. Only this time, it was his Father's knocking.   
He got up, and answered the door. His Father was standing in the doorway.   
"Father" He was surprised at the change of routine, "Where is Natalie? She isn't sick is she?"   
"No, there was nothing for her to do for the rest of the day so I told her to go home and rest, do things that make her happy"   
"That was kind and generous of you Father" Adrien said softy.   
"Well, first things first, good morning. And you can call me Dad if you want, I will have to get used to it at least" He gave him a hug.   
"Good morning Dad....." Adrien hugged him back.   
"Now" Gabriel let go of him, "I have to make something clear"   
Adrien listened.   
"I never wanted you to feel the weight of my burden, you're my boy, and I'm sorry, my feelings came in anger and that's why I have always been keeping myself away from you. Like you said, I'm not perfect, I have a lot of social skills to catch up to, and I have to open up in order to and it's scary, because I don't want to show you how broken I am. I always meant to show myself as a strong person, but I'm not"  
Adrien smiled at him, "You're still my Dad"  
"Well, believe it or not, Chat Noir has been helping me"   
"I'm glad then, that he's there to help you. Is he good to you?"   
"Of course, he's my good friend. And speaking of friends...... You can bring over your friends if you like, including that person with the headphones, I think I judged him badly"   
"His name is Nino, and there is Marinette and Alya. Are you sure?"   
"Bring them over this afternoon if you like, it'll be good to have more happy spirits in the house. It's been gloomy for too long"   
"Then..... Talking about gloomy, I think you should look at the portrait in the main hall. You'll see that I find it, horrendous. No offense" he said as Gabriel stood puzzled. "I.... Will....."   
"Cool" Adrien replied.   
"Well then, let's go and have some breakfast, it's a school day"   
The got to the dining room where they had breakfast, the maid came in with Adrien's cereal while Adrien found himself staring at Gabriel's meal. It was a bowl containing..... Brown bars...?   
He watched as his Father got some milk to fill half the bowl and put some honey on top before it was devoured using a spoon.   
"What..... Are those?" he asked as Gabriel swallowed his first bite.   
"Imported from Australia, they are called Wheat bix, from every cereal I have researcher, this one does not have any added sugar, just its natural ingredients and wheat is very important in the morning, most people prefer to add honey and milk to it which I very much approve of  because it contains calcium and reduces the symptoms of a sore throat"  
"Huh. Does it taste good?"   
"By itself its good for you," he then smugly added, "But it tastes like crap"   
Adrien laughed at the table, "Have you been watching Crocodile Dundee Dad?"   
"Yes, your Mother and I watched it when she was pregnant with you"   
"Awwwww, that's adorable!" Adrien chuckled and Gabriel just smiled back.   
"Less talking more eating" Gabriel reminded.   
"Oh, yeah!" Adrien went straight into eating his bacon and eggs.   
Once they finished their breakfast, Adrien grabbed his bag and bid goodbye to his Father before heading off to school.   
Once he got out of the sedan car, his best friend Nino was there to greet him.   
"Mornin Nino, how are you?"   
"I'm sweet bud, I hope that Dad of yours didn't give you a hard time"  
"Oh, no he didn't" Adrien replied as they walked together. "I don't think so, not for a long time now"   
"That's..... Strange, I saw him the other day with Chat Noir, disguised, he seemed off"   
"Did he? He's becoming more of a Dad now"   
"You're kidding, he's a stubborn old man"   
"Not anymore" Adrien shook his head.   
"Dude! What happened between you two? Did you hipnotise him or something?"   
"Nah, he has been starting to open up to me, did you know, Chat Noir has been his house keeper in the last week! I found out when he started cleaning the windows"   
"Wait- Alya's going to freak! How did Chat Noir start working for your Dad?"   
"He accidentally ruined his rose bushes and now he has to work in order to pay for the repairs"   
Nino chortled, "That's bad luck alright"   
"I asked him to look after my Father and it seems that he had been giving him advice on how to be a better Father. Suddenly one day he actually comes up to breakfast! He never comes!"   
"I bet he sits on the other side of that table"   
"That's what I thought too, but he decided to sit next to me" He saw Nino's expression widen in surprise, "I know, it's been nearly two weeks and now we are like really close friends, trust me, you wouldn't be able to recognise him now"   
"I will have to see it to believe it" Nino didn't look convinced.   
"Well, remember that movie you reccomended to me?"   
"Yeah?"   
"Bert's advice about Fathers put us in a bad spot"   
"Damn. That's why you were so grumpy"  
Adrien shrugged, "We made up"   
They got inside their classroom when Adrien felt Marinette run in like a wild mouse, he chuckled at her panicked expression and sat in his normal seat beside Nino.   
"So, you have arrived early girl!" Alya was impressed with her friend.   
"Yeah" Marinette breathed, "I was all night doing homework and I got a few hours of sleep so when I woke up it was almost time to go so I thought best to run for it"   
"You should take a break, maybe invite our friends over to a place" Alya suggested.   
"Oh! My Father said that I'm free to invite you guys over to my place! Our treat!"   
The three friends gave him a surprised face.   
"...... What?"   
"First Agreste goes in disguise with Chat Noir and now this? What's going through his head?" Alya asked.   
"He told me that he has worked things out with his old man, since that the invite is there, why don't we go?" Nino suggested.   
"I can get our chef to make some yummy snacks for us" Adrien said, "Maybe bring some yummy croissants that your parents make" his head turned to Marinette who slightly blushed. "S-sure.... I'll bring as many snacks as I can...."

"And if we have any homework to finish off we can do it together so we have the weekend free" Adrien added.  
"Sounds like a plan" Alya said, "Oh! Maybe I could find Chat Noir there! He is the caretaker"  
Oh damn. I forgot. Maybe if I can slip through since the shift is only in the late evenings now... They will be gone by then. Phew. Good.  
"He only comes in the late afternoons, around seven ish" Adrien said.  
"Awwww..... Oh well, I can always find him during an akuma attack" Alya went back to her phone.  
Their teacher came into the classroom and started their class.

"Come on guys, and don't be nervous Nino, he mentioned that he misjudged you" Adrien lead them on.  
"Really now" Nino looked unconvinced.  
"I'll go with Marinette so we can get some snacks from the bakery" Alya said, "We can catch up with you"  
"Don't worry about us" Marinette added.  
"Are you sure?"  
"Sure" Alya nodded.  
"Alright, let's go Nino" Adrien gestured to the car, and they got in.  
The gorilla glanced at Nino but paid attention to the road in front of him, Adrien was glad to find his friend comfortable.  
Once they were arrived, they waited for about five minutes before Marinette and Alya caught up with them, their arms full of packages that contained goodies. Besides, Adrien didn't want to go inside without all his friends.  
"Father, I'm home!" Adriens voice echoed through the main hall and in about a couple of minutes, Gabriel's office doors opened.  
Alya, Nino and Marinette stayed together, they always prepared for anything when it came to Gabriel himself, a strict and cold man, even if Adrien says what sounds so rare.   
"Adrien, you're home. How was school?" Gabriel greeted his son with a warm smile.   
"I'm guessing it was good as yours, knowing that you do the job you always love doing"   
"I have no doubt about that, seeing that you always put up the good work"   
Nino's mouth slightly gaped.   
"Now, are they your friends?" Gabriel asked as the turned to the trio.   
"Yes! Father, I'd like to introduce you to Alya, Nino and Marinette"   
"Hello, is that croissants I smell?"   
Marinette fiddled a bit, "Yeah.... My parents insisted that I bring some over"   
"Let's bring them out to the lounge area, we can all make ourselves comfortable there"   
"Sure, we can bring them in, maybe we can grab some plates as well?" Marinette suggested, hoping that she didn't speak out of place, but she didn't sense any coldness around the man so she felt it safe to talk.   
"You are very kind miss, I'll have the maid bring some in. Shall we go?"   
"Sure...." Nino said and Adrien lead his friends into the lounge room, it is bigger than Adrien's and Gabriel's bedroom which had a circle of couches and a big flat screen TV.   
"Whoooaaaaa" Alya said in awe along with Nino, "This place is bigger than your room!" Nino said.   
Marinette placed her box of pastries on the coffee table along with Alya, soon someone came in and placed some plates on the table.   
"I'm afraid I misjudged you on our first meeting" Gabriel said to Nino, "For that, I apologise"   
Nino was taken aback, "Erm, thanks....?"   
Gabriel hummed softly, "I'm sure that we will all get along, I must thank you for looking after my son, you are his best friend after all"   
Nino smiled then, "No prob, he is my best bud, I look after him like he does for me"   
"Dig in guys" Marinette said and Adrien more than obliged to take a croissant. Gabriel on the other hand had rarely even touched a pastry. Not since....   
"Aren't you going to have one?" Alya asked.   
"Well..... I guess it wouldn't hurt.... My wife liked doughnuts, I caught her having one once and admitted to it"   
"Really" Adrien said as he swallowed his first bite, "On the sort of diet you are on?"   
"I was really surprised...."   
Marinette giggled. "I'm not surprised"   
Gabriel picked up a doughnut, "Well..... The way to catch a man's heart is to his stomach"   
Marinette went red while Alya sputtered a laugh.   
"How very true..." she glanced at Adrien who was enjoying his croissant, he was making smacking sounds as it was evident that he loved his snack. But he was too into eating than the actual conversation, "..... What?" he glanced at his friend's who were smirking at him.   
Gabriel looked at Marinette who was twiddling with her fingers as she blushed and then looked at Adrien.   
"Please don't tell me my son is blind to notice that miss Marinette clearly has a crush on him...."  
Adrien choked on his croissant and he started coughing, Nino went straight to patting his back and Adrien got a hold of himself, tears in his eyes, "Sorry..... It went through the wrong pipe...."   
Marinette's face was flushed red, "Mr Agreste...."   
"Dad, Marinette is just a friend!" Adrien argued.   
"Oh phooey, she has pictures of you on that wall in her room on like on that TV show"   
"It's for fashion" Adrien added, "You have pictures of me too, framed"   
"Believe me, a girl like Marinette doesn't just hang pictures of you on her wall for fashion"   
Alya liked how this is going.   
"Besides, remember when you lost my book? She found it for me and returned it, all the while rambling about how great you are and admitted to having a crush on you" Gabriel took a bite of his doughnut. "Hmm, it's good"   
Marinette was screaming internally while Adrien gaped at her in surprise.   
"Wow, that was very bold of you" Alya sniggered.   
"I had no idea" Adrien said.   
"For how long?" Gabriel asked.   
"A year" Nino and Alya said simultaneously.   
"Good lord Adrien, you're terrible, how could you not notice such a sweet soul?"   
Marinette was taken aback by the compliment and Adrien was so confused.   
"I guess that makes two of us then" Gabriel sat next to his son, "Being blind to the good things of the world" he smiled, "But seriously. I am so sorry miss Marinette"   
"N-n-n-no..... Its okay..... I can't even speak straight in front of him anyway....."   
"Straight to the point Agreste" Alya wanted to laugh at the situation, "Marinette had been plotting all year to try and confess to him, and what does she do? She steals his phone!   
"WHAT. I thought I lost my phone!" Adrien didn't know why he was hearing this now.   
"I sent a really bad voicemail....." Marinette explained nervously. "I couldn't let you hear it"   
"I would have given it to you of you asked"   
"Pffffft" Nino suppressed a laugh.   
"Can we pleeaaase stop talking about how much I really like Adrien?!" Marinette squeaked.   
Adrien blushed and Gabriel just grinned.   
Marinette grabbed a croissant and shoved it in her mouth to decrease the amount of embarrassment she was experiencing.   
Gabriel patted his son on the back, "Go for it, she's a good cat-ch"   
"Daaaaad!" Adrien whined.   
"I like him already" Alya whispered to Nino.   
"Okay, I'm going to stop embarrassing my only son and go back to having fun"   
"We are having fun" Alya giggled.   
"Alya, you're not helping" Marinette frowned.   
Gabriel got up from his seat, "There is a gaming console and four controllers for all of you to have fun with, I have to get back to work"   
"We're going to finish off our homework actually" Marinette said.   
"Good idea" Gabriel approved, he actually had some good friends. Good for him, he was such an idiot not to see it earlier. "I'll see you then" he said and left the room, heating their goodbyes.   
Once the door shut, Adrien turned to his friends, "I'm so sorry, I didn't know my Dad could be so... Embarrassing...." Adrien groaned softly.   
"Aw, it's okay, I liked him like that" Alya said.   
"It was nice to see some good in him" Marinette smiled warmly at him.   
"Erm" Adrien remembered what he just found out, "Marinette....... I had no clue that you liked me"   
Marinette swallowed audibly, "I don't expect you to like me back the way I do....."   
"Marinette, I'm sorry, I have things to figure out before I can consider your feelings, I hope you understand"   
He has to find out who Ladybug is before he can do anything, the last thing he wants to do is hurt her feelings.

Marinette didn't know what he had to sort out but it made her better than being rejected. "Alright, I'll wait for you, come to me when you're ready"   
"You're the best Marinette"  
"It's okay, I never got to tell you right....."   
"It's alright, when I'm ready, you can tell me, the right way so I can return your feelings properly. I don't want to hurt you"   
Marinette smiled gratefully at him.

Nooroo fluttered near Gabriel as the man read his journal full of his findings on Chat Noir.   
In the end, he had information about him, he is close as his sons age, he had green eyes and a strong build. He had asked Natalie to find anyone in High class families upon that definition which resulted in ten teenagers excluding his son.   
There were voice samples of each of them..... But none sounded like Chat Noir at all. He knew himself that his voice was the only thing that wasn't changed after transformation so......   
Maybe Chat Noir lived outside of Paris.... Or....   
Chat Noir was closer than he initially thought.   
Maybe.....

Maybe.....

He couldn't half believe it. But he couldn't be sure...

"Master?" Nooroo spoke as he picked up a strawberry from a fruit plate.   
"Yes Nooroo?"   
"Plagg, who is the kwami of destruction, may be yang but there is always light in darkness. He sees something in you, why else would he help? Plagg may be very greedy and ignorant but he is also kind at heart"   
"That's..... True...." he said, thinking of his own son who saw good in him. "But what are you saying?"   
"I'm saying..... If there is a right way of doing things like Chat Noir showed you, maybe that is the way you should go if you are you get Émilie back"   
"To follow that light......" Gabriel realised, "The question is how"   
"Follow your heart this time, not your guilt, or your anger" Nooroo advised.   
"I can't believe that a man my age would be so blind....." Gabriel confessed and Nooroo smiled at him knowingly, "I've seen worse"   
"Thank you"

Chat Noir may be Adrien...... But still....   
He wanted Émilie back.

 _...... I'm sorry Chat Noir....._   
  



	10. Day 16

Gabriel was asleep in his comfortable cosy bed, his glasses were on the desk beside him and Nooroo slept on the edge, he didn't mind as long as he didn't intrude on his privacy.   
  
 _"Darling?"_  
 _His eyes shot awake as he heard that voice. Turning around quickly he suddenly faced Emilie._  
 _No, this isn't possible.....or is it....?_  
 _She smiled below him as her body kept close to his own while he just sat there flabbergasted. Her hand reached his and circled her fingers on his palm, feeling the warmth from her, he thought he was dreaming._  
 _Is she really here.....?_  
 _He choked on his own tears and felt his heart break._  
 _"Oh Gabriel......" She reached up and cupped his cheek, "Please don't cry...."_  
 _Gabriel sniffed as his tears dropped off his chin, streaming down._  
 _"I missed you.....every month, every day and every second since you left me......I deserve every bit of it" Gabriel squeezed his eyes tight as he remembered the day when she stormed out of the front door._  
 _Emilie scanned his greif ridden expression on his face as he cried._  
 _"You have every right to hate me.......and I understand if you don't want to come back....." Gabriel opened his eyes to face her, "If you never do, I may as well due a heart broken man.......and I'm happy to rest until you come back to me....."_  
 _"Don't say such things Gabriel" Emilie frowned at him, "I left, so you could learn from your mistakes"_  
 _"It's been a year. Akuma attacks, seriously? You went too far" she deepened her frown._  
 _"But....." Her expression turned soft, "You learned from that mistake and started fixing your relationship with our son"_  
 _She smiled as Gabriel listened, "I married you for your stubbornness, directed correctly, that can be a good thing, but being strict can go too far for a boy like Adrien"_ _She paused,_  
 _"I know you had the butterfly miraculous on while you conceived him. It's the reason he's here"_  
 _Gabriel pressed his lips together._  
 _"Thank you" she said, "I knew it was the only way, that's why I gave him the name Adrien. It's all we ever wanted"_  
 _Gabriel gave a tiny smile, "I'm relieved"_  
 _He started taking her presence in, but something felt wrong._  
 _"Are you really here.....?" He asked._  
 _Emilie smiled, "Am I? You look very lonely"_  
 _"That's because you are so far away from me dear" Gabriel said with pain etched in his face. "Do you still love me.....? Even after what I've done?"_  
 _Emilie leaned up and kissed her forehead._  
 _"I love you till death do us part"_  
 _Gabriel sniffed harshly._  
 _"Oh.....you're in pain ...." She noticed._  
 _Sobs filled the room, "I'm so sorry.....I'm so sorry my love......I've been the worst husband in the universe and all I want is for you to come home....." He wrapped his arms around her as he cried._  
 _"I'll come home to you when it's time" she sat down and looked into his eyes._  
 _"How do I know when it's time?" Gabriel asked._  
 _"When you have proven yourself to be the man that I know that is always inside of you. Your life growing up was without any love, learn how to love my dear and your soul will be so much brighter. Till then will I come back to you"_  
 _Gabriel took a breath and sniffed, "Thank you, I'm glad that wasn't in riddles. I know that you hate hate answers that aren't straightforward"_  
 _Emilie gave a light chuckle._  
 _Gabriel held her for a few moments._  
 _"Can you stay?" He asked._  
 _"I'm sorry, I have to depart"_  
 _"What?" He said wetly._  
 _"It's okay" she cupped his cheeks, "I'll be back" her figure started to fade away._  
 _"No...." He started to panic as his wife disintegrated little by little._  
 _"No.....no come back!" He opened up his bedsheets and ran after her remains._  
 _"No...."_  
  
"EMILIE!"   
He woke up and the first thing he felt was intense pain, he had shot up and went headfirst into Adrien's forehead, clacking together, they both shot away from each other, groaning in pain.   
"Urrrrrgghhhh......." Adrien put a hand on his forehead to soothe the sore tissue while Gabriel had landed back on his pillow, groaning.   
"Owww......that was nasty......" Gabriel commented.   
"You really must have had a bad dream then" Adrien added. "You were mumbling and crying in your sleep, I was really worried. Didn't expect you to wake up like that though.....ow....."   
"So why on earth are you doing in my room?" Gabriel asked as he rubbed his forehead.  
"It's eight o clock, you've overslept your six am routine. So I thought to wake you up"   
Gabriel's eyes went wide, "What? Why didn't Nathalie wake me?"   
"A call went through the main phone, she's in sick"   
Ignoring the wet tears down his face, he rubbed them away with his pajama sleeve, Adrien was already dressed and ready for school, but he was hours off his routine.  
"Shit, shit, shitshitshitshitshit" he cursed before jumping out of bed as Adrien snorted at his cursing.   
Gabriel spotted some nicely folded clothes on the corner of his bed and picked them up quickly.   
"I put these there for you" Adrien said.  
"Thanks" he took his tank top off, revealing his bare chest which Adrien never saw and caught him gaping because he was certainly working out.   
"Shut your mouth Adrien. I lead by example" he put his shirt on and then his waistcoat, before he turned around as he took the butterfly miraculous off his inner layer of pants to his neck collar before he put his scarf on, hoping that his son wouldn't notice.   
He stripped his pants and underwear off too, replacing them with a new fresh batch and trousers before putting his socks and shoes on. With some final adjustments, he turned around and looked for his glasses.   
"Here" Adrien handed them over, and Gabriel received them, putting them on, "Thank you, now let's hurry and have breakfast before were both screwed" he hurried his son out his bedroom door, leaving his sleepwear behind.   
"I like this side of you" Adrien grinned as he was hurried.   
Gabriel simply rolled his eyes.   
They ran down to the dining room where their breakfast was sitting and they started eating as calmly as they could, since eating too fast could upset the stomach and give a case of hiccups.   
Gabriel picked up a slice of toast which had black, brownish looking paste on it, Adrien nearly spat out his fried egg.   
"What on earth is that?!" He retreated and pinched his nose as he could smell....it.... "Just when I thought that there couldn't be anything worse than carmembert!" His voice squeaked a little.   
Gabriel sniggered, "It's Vegemite"   
"Ugh, I cannot describe the smell....!" He shuffled away from it and ate while he pinched his nose.  
Gabriel smiled widely and brought the piece of toast towards his son, he retreated and bent away from the monstrosity. It was cute.   
"Nooooooooooooo" Adrien whined.  
"What a picky eater, just like your Mother" Gabriel chuckled.   
Adrien wasn't impressed. He always wanted to make his Father proud and this....black....paste...wasn't going to stop him.   
He leaned in and quickly chomped on the bread, catching Gabriel by surprise.   
Adrien quickly chewed on the hunk that he tore off and his face turned in disgust and he tried to put on a brave face, giving his Father the best smile he could muster.  
"Yummmiiiieee....." He said weakly and swallowed, Gabriel snorted at him and burst into a fitful of giggles. It was a rare sight.   
Putting his toast back on his plate, he grabbed Adrien's toast and took a bite out of that.   
"Now we're even" he put it back on Adrien's plate.   
"I feel like I lost half my appetite" Adrien groaned.   
"Just eat the rest of your breakfast and you'll be fine" Gabriel spotted a tablet sitting on a tabletop nearby and grabbed it, he turned it on and checked the timetable before his eyes widened.   
"Go on Adrien, I'm going to be late" he stuffed his mouth with the roast and ran from his seat, "Have a good day at school!" He shouted before leaving the room.   
"Well, I must admit, I would like to try that stuff on some of my cheese later" Plagg said from his bag.   
"I'm not putting two awful things together, plus, I don't want sticky stuff in my bag"   
"Bring me some later to taste test" Plagg didn't hear Adrien's protests.   
  
An hour later, Gabriel sighed and let himself relax in his chair in the back section of his office.  
"That was a smooth meeting" Nooroo commented.  
Gabriel took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead with the same hand, "Nooroo, what's happening to me? My mischeivious thinking has disappeared and my life has gotten so much better in just two weeks....."   
"Well, a spoonful of sugar goes a long long way....." Nooroo replied and Gabriel just grumbled.  
The older man got out his journal, his findings and written entries, he thought that if he could read it from the beginning, he could get some sense of his old self back.   
Just ten minutes later, he got the opposite effect.   
He slammed the book on his table and seethed, "Nooroo...."   
"Yes.....?" The kwami feared for his mood.  
"I CANT BELIEVE THAT I'VE BEEN SUCH A-"   
"Yes....?"   
Gabriel grabbed fistfuls of his own hair, "I'm such a big headed idiot! This isn't me!!! This is Hawkmoth!!! I've been in a hole so long I forgot myself!"   
He stood up, "This isn't right. I've got to change, for the good and for the better" he wanted to burn the book, but then he could need it later for some purposes. He sighed and reached for his phone.  
His phone....that isn't even his own. It was a smaller, older model than his that almost looked exactly the same. He was sure he put it on the dining table this morning before he rushed out.   
Then he remembered, he put it on the dining table with Adriens phone, in which he picked up in a hurry. How silly of him.   
At least it wasn't his tablet full of miraculous research, it's a family phone. That's fine, he can get it back when Adrien comes home.   
He realaxed.  
Then his eyes went wide.   
Hold on.....the family phone......the phone with all of his photos and music....  
 _What was the last thing I did on that phone....?_  
 _SHIT._  
  
Adrien was in class doing quiet study and music always helped him along, he picked up his phone, plugged in some earphones, put the buds in his ears and shook the phone to start a playlist. It was always handy.  
However, instead of his favourite anime music, the rhythmic english pop music from the sixties came into his ears.   
  
 _Oh oh,_  
 _I love you so,_  
 _Aah ah,_  
 _I can't let you go,_  
 _Don't tell me no,_  
 _I really need your love tonight,_  
  
 _Oh gee, the way you kiss,_  
 _Sweetie, too good to miss,_  
 _Wowee, want more of this,_  
 _I really need your love tonight,_  
  
 _I'm waiting just for tonight,_  
 _To do some lovin' and hold you tight,_  
 _Don't tell me baby you gotta go,_  
 _I've got the high give high and the lights down low,_  
  
 _Hey now, you know what I say,_  
 _Oh wow, you better stay_  
 _Pow pow, don't run away,_  
 _I really need your love tonight,_

 

(Elvis Presley, I need your Love Tonight)  
  
He wondered how on earth this song came on his phone so he turned it on and noticed the wallpaper, it was not his wallpaper.  
He must have picked up the wrong phone, but how? And whose phone is this?   
He tried a passcode and he got in easily, to reveal a video that was possibly the last thing that the original owner did. It pricked at his curiosity so he pressed play.   
  
The video showed a party, and the first thing that he recognised was his Mother and Father, they looked like that they were in their youth, Gabriel's hair was much blonder then. He looked much more handsome too.   
Emilie looked a little cross at Gabriel for some reason but Gabriel was willing to gain her affections back. So the man talked to the dj that was controlling the music of the party who insisted to do a dance competition with Gabriel starting it off for his girlfriend.   
Nino became curious in what Adrien was watching and leaned forward to watch the screen.   
The place left a whole circle for people to dance on and it started to clear up when the music started to quieten down.   
Gabriel put on his best show as Emilie had her arms crossed, frowning.   
"This is for my lovely girl, even if I can be a pain in the arse sometimes" he said and a few people in the audience gave a little chuckle.   
The music started and the next thing that he least expected, was for his Father to start singing.   
  
 _I got chills, they're multiplyin'_  
 _and I'm losin' control_  
 _'Cause the power you're supplyin',_

 _it's electrifyin'_  
  
Emilie grinned, she couldn't turn down a karaoke as an actress especially when her boyfriend was joining in.   
  
 _You better shape up,_  
 _Cause I need a man,_  
 _My heart is set on you,_  
 _You better shape up,_  
 _You better understand,_  
 _To my heart I must be true,_  
  
Emilie dropped the scarf that she was wearing and started dancing along with Gabriel.  
  
 _You're the one that I want,_  
 _You are the one I want,_  
 _Ooh ooh oooh,_  
  
 _The one that I want,_  
 _You are the one I want,_  
 _Ooh ooh oooh, honey_  
  
 _The one that I want,_  
 _You are the one I want,_  
 _Ooh ooh oooh,_  
  
 _The one I need,_  
 _Oh yes indeed,_  
  
They gracefully did the same moves from the movie in swift motion and they really started enjoying themselves.   
  
"Shit, is that your old man?" Nino asked quietly.   
Alya suddenly perked up and started peeking at Adrien's screen.   
They kept watching until the point that Emilie lovingly gave her boyfriend access to her neck in which Gabriel kissed lovingly.   
"Where did you get this.....?" Nino asked.  
"Well, this isn't my phone......" He exited the video app and went into the music app.   
He remembered that Gabriel didn't like anything like drama, or cartoons or anything. He refused to tell him what he liked.   
Apparently, his song playlists were full of the good stuff. And they made him smile widely.  
  
Evil Presley  
The Beatles   
Michael Jackson   
  
He couldn't blame him.   
  
He went back to the video he was watching and his Father's dancing and singing was tickling at his soul. He had the similar motions of his own Chat Noir grins, he definitely wanted to impress his Mother. No wonder he knew how to impress Ladybug of all people.   
He was a total gentlemen, glasses and all.   
The similarities wanted to make him go under his desk and laugh his lungs off, it was all too much. He looked so much like his Mother, he never knew that his way of attracting the love of his was similar to his own as Chat Noir.   
  
He then went straight to the photos.   
He felt his heart melt at their proposal photos, Gabriel was at his knees with an engagement ring in his hands, Emilie had her hands covering her mouth in pleasant surprise, he could even see the tears in her eyes.   
The marriage photos were much more beautiful so.   
The next one was of Gabriel taking a selfie of himself and Emilie in bed, even with the sheets above their chests to cover their obvious modesty. Emilie looked smug while Gabriel just smiled knowingly at his new wife.   
The captions said _"First experience"_.  
Nino choaked.   
After a few he caught sight of Gabriel holding him as a baby, cheek to cheek, he looked like he was crying.  
His heart immediately melted.   
"Awwwww, look Marinette, Adrien's baby photos!!" Alya awed out loud.  
"What?! Where?!" Marinette shreiked.   
Luckily their teacher wasn't in the room to hear her.   
Alya pointed at Adrien's screen and the girl turned into a puddle of goo. As Adrien noticed, he knew why she acted this way now, as she had a crush on him. It explained so much.   
"You are so adorable Adrieeeen" Marinette swooned.   
Adrien gave her his classic smile, "Thanks Marinette"   
The girl all but blushed.   
"Your Dad looks very emotional in this one, he seems like that he really loves you"   
"Thanks. It was really hard for my Mother to actually carry a baby, so I was miracle"   
"Dude, really?" Nino was surprised.   
"My Mother actually had a lot of miscarrages before she had me"  
"No wonder your Father is so protective of you. It must be really hard for him even after your Mother disappeared, I get it now. He must have been really scared. Poor guy"   
Adrien scrolled through some more pictures and found one of him and his wife smiling, hand in hand as they walked together.   
He sighed sadly, "Father's day is coming soon. I should do something special for him"   
"You should dude. He's got a good spirit"   
"Yeah, you should keep close to him" Marinette added.   
"Yeah......." Then he got an idea, "Hey Marinette, can I ask a favor of you?"   
"Sure, what is it?"   
"Can......can you teach me how to cook a nice breakfast at your bakery? Maybe I could make my Dad a nice breakfast in bed"   
"That's so kind of you, of course I will!"   
"I will have to find a present for him too....." Adrien wondered out loud. He thought to go through his phone for some clues, maybe if he has some favourite songs, he could get a record or two for him.   
He remembered one time that he found a cassette player laying around in his cupboards, but it was broken so maybe he can get a new one for him.   
 _Good idea!_  
  
He went through the songs and wrote down his Father's favourites.   
  
"Hey dude. Is that your Dad?" Nino piped up as he could see someone in the distance through the windows.  
"Let me see" Adrien moved up a bit and spotted his Father walking towards their classroom.   
"It is him"   
Gabriel went straight to their classroom door and knocked politely, then he opened the door to notice the class without any supervision. He muttered at the sight of the empty teachers seat before looking around for his son.  
"Ah, Adrien!" Gabriel found him and Adrien got out of his seat.   
"We misplaced our phones" Gabriel approached him, "I'm sorry for interrupting your school time"   
"It's okay, we are doing some quiet study"   
"Ah, good" Gabriel handed Adrien his phone and received his own from his son, growing concerned as his son slowly grinned at him.   
"What?" The older man asked.  
"I like your song choice" Adrien whispered to his Father, as to not embarass him.   
"A man's got to like something" Gabriel gave a surprising scoff which was added with a smug eye roll.   
"You dance and sing really well too" Adrien chuckled.  
The redness that spread in the man's cheeks were evident, he cleared his throat and pushed up his glasses. "Erm......thanks?"  
Adrien just smiled, "We must get different colored covers, they just make our phones look the same"   
"Agreed" he was releived that his son changed the subject, "Then.....I will see you later then"   
"Of course. And Dad?"   
"Yes?"   
"I need to do an errand after school, I'll be home...  
" He worked out a time, "And hour later?"   
"Take your time to do your errand, I'll be waiting at home for you. I know myself that you can't rush art"   
"Thanks Dad. I'll see you then"   
With his Father's nod, he left the room, muttering about having to change his phone passcode later.  
  
Gabriel returned home and got some doonas and large sheets with an intention of making a fort with his son later. He thought to get his old tent which is cosy and big enough for the two of them.   
He found himself with a pile of bed sheets on the ground and he just.....let himself fall into them back facing.   
Staring at the roof felt nogalistic, it always did. It reminded him of the times when he used to have picnics with Emilie, they used to lay down and find funny shaped clouds in the sky.   
He closed his eyes and remembered what it was like to have lots of pure love surrounding his life.   
Love that came from Emilie that just......didn't....linger around him....  
He misses that feeling.   
  
Adrien asked Nino for some record places and they went to some retro stores to buy presents for his Father before they went straight for Marinette's house where Tom and Sabine were much more than delighted to teach him how to make basic things like roast before going into bacon and eggs as something that he felt like was a good meal.   
Thanking Marinette's wonderful parents, he wanted to get home before his Dad gets worried about him.   
Once he came inside the main door, he went to his bedroom first to hide the presents he bought before going out to look for him.   
He went inside the lounge......and found him sleeping in a pile of sheets and pillows, circled up nice and sound.   
He looked......unsettled....   
"Dad?"  
Gabriel shifted and his eyes fluttered open.  
"Adrien....." He groaned as he got up, wiping his eyes, "You're home.....and you smell of baked goodies ....what on earth have you been doing?"   
"That's a secret" Adrien smirked as Gabriel put his glasses on, "What are you doing?"   
"I got everything we need to build a fort and I just....." He yawned, "Pardon me. I fell asleep"   
"I thought you were building a nest. You seemed unsettled, are you okay?"   
"Sleeping without your Mother isn't an easy thing to get used to Adrien. I can't sleep very well, but....that was the best nap I had in a long time. I think I can get used to this"   
"Then....why don't we build it in the corner over there?" He pointed to the corner behind the two couches. "I have some ideas"   
Gabriel got up, "Then, lead the way. I brought a considerable sized tent too"   
"Then let's set that up first!" Adrien said excitedly, bouncing on his feet a bit.   
They got out a simple tent out of a bag first which was a perfect triangular shape that fit perfectly in the corner with a wide opening, it was an old children's tent but it was big enough to fit a couple of six year olds inside.   
Then they stuffed in plenty of colorful doona's that were some of his old ones when he was a kid and then put in large comfy sheets and pillows.   
It looked incredibly inviting when they finished.   
"I must say" Gabriel started as they looked at their work. His hair seemed tossled a little bit from moving around so much, "It looks...."  
"It does, doesn't it?" Adrien smiled.   
Gabriel took his time taking his shoes off, before he settled inside first, his back facing the wall, instantly, he felt incredibly comfortable and caught sight of Adrien coming in with an evident smile on his face. Shy, Gabriel motioned for his son to lay right next to him and the boy layed down facing him.   
"Ahh......" Adrien sighed, "This is good....."   
"Thank Chat Noir for this idea" Gabriel felt a tingle of shyness in his chest and it became evident on his face.   
"What's wrong?" Adrien asked.  
"I'm not quiet used to......close contact"   
"It's nice though"   
Gabriel hummed as he let himself relax into the sheets.   
It was homey, and way more comfortable than his own lonely bed. As a bonus, his son is there with him, all the things he had in the moment was with him.   
He let his negative emotions pass from his heart and head that used to give him painful nightmares and headaches, and his body just relaxed even further into a deep sleep.  
Now he seems peaceful, Adrien thought as he pulled a sheet over him before shuffling up close to his chest and closing the main entrance of the tent.   
He was in the company of his own Father, he had once dreamed of a fort, and it was better than he thought it would be.   
He fell asleep shortly after.   
  
Nathalie came up with a small cold in the early morning so when she called in sick, she hoped that Gabriel wouldn't be mad at her, but she also....kind of knew that he could be understanding, at least for now. She went to the doctor and the cold that she thought to be was a slight allergy from the dust because she kept her window open accidentally overnight and was given some pills to handle it. After taking some rest, she thought to take the late afternoon shift since she isn't anywhere near contagious.   
When she got there, Gabriel and Adrien were nowhere in sight.   
Adrien would be practicing his piano by now, and Gabriel would be in his private quarters so she headed up and noticed the one thing out of the ordinary.   
A tent. In the corner of the lounge.   
What are they up to?   
She quietly approached the tent and opened the front hatch a little to find the Father and son bundled up together, sleeping.   
Surprised, she closed the hatch and giggled softly to herself, she had never seen them so close like that before in her years of being Gabriel's assistant. It was so nice.....   
  
 _Well then, have a lovely afternoon sir._  

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For everyone that made it thus far......thank you very much! I know that there aren't much Gabriel related fics, but it's always enlightening to have him recognize what he's been doing and turn him into a huggable softie.... hee hee~ 
> 
> I will keep on updating when I can until this little story finishes with a good family ending ^_^


	11. Day 15

He was glad to find that stray cat the night before, he seemed really perked up and happy. Smiling all the while, he really did start making his day much brighter rather than having his usual lonely nights.  
  
"Chat Noir, you can sit next to me if you like, I don't mind" Gabriel said and Chat Noir looked at the spot next to him, "Are you sure? And I don't know if I have done enough work for you...."  
"No, it's alright, you have already done more than enough. You gave me something that money can't afford"  
"..... What?"  
"Friendship"  
He saw a shine in Chat Noir's eyes before he seated himself next to Gabriel as the older man saw a maid approach him with two cups of tea, placing the two cups on the coffee table in front of him, he thanked the maid before taking in Chat Noir's presence next to him.  
"Tea?"  
"Thank you Gabriel...." the cat looked grateful as he picked up his cup of tea and took a sip while Gabriel picked up his sketchbook and kept working on his designs.  
"How are you? Are you feeling better?" Chat asked.  
"Oh, much better, thank you. How about yourself?"  
"I'm more relaxed these days, there hasn't been an akuma attack for a while"  
"They look tough, do they put a lot of work on you?"  
 _Just curious._  
"It depends on the akuma, but physical wise, they don't inflict so much damage on me. Other than that, you have to be creative on your actions, especially Ladybug"  
He internally grumbled to himself, his akuma's are not strong enough. But like he could make them stronger...... Maybe use them to search for Émilie instead. That will be better.  
"But it seems that the akuma's do good for your body" He referred to Chat's abs that stuck out quite a bit.  
Chat chuckled, "Yeah"  
As Chat made himself more comfortable, he took out his baton and checked his messages.  
"Does that thing take photos?" Gabriel asked.  
"Yeah, it does" he wondered why he was asking.  
"Want to send a photo to Ladybug?"  
"You mean...... Like a selfie?"  
"If you would like to"  
Chat couldn't half believe it, Gabriel let him settle on his shoulder and take photo of them both before sending it to Ladybug.   
"She's going to be so jealous!"   
"Why?"   
"Well apparently, you're her favourite fashion designer. You inspire her"   
"Oh" that was a surprise for him and a little bit of warmth entered his heart a bit.   
 _Ladybug likes my work......_     
"Ah, she replied" Chat said and Gabriel brought his attention back to him before the cat grinned, "She's jealous. But she's glad I have good company"   
Gabriel noticed that Chat Noir was still laying on his shoulder. But it was alright, this cat is his best friend, a hand reached for his ear and Chat Noir leaned in and started to purr.   
"Do you do that all the time?" he asked.   
"Only to the people I'm closest to" Chat turned off his baton and got his attention to Gabriel's fingers that were skillfully scratching the back of his ears.   
He sighed happily as he purred, the sound was loud now and it looked like heaven for him. His hand slowly went down from his hair to his chin, "I should get you a ball of wool" he got an idea, "No, a laser pointer"   
Chat's eyes widened before he scowled, "Don't you dare"   
"I wouldn't like to make a mess in the room any way" he took his hand away from Chat, "I'd be the one to clean it up"   
"Don't stop scratching, you are better at it than Ladybug" Gabriel could visually see his tail wiggling eagerly before he continued scratching him behind the ears. "Ohhhhh yeaaaaah....."   
Gabriel chuckled at the cat and his wiggling tail, it was so cute.   
"You're one in a million Chat Noir" he said, "How are you and your Father going?"   
"Things..... Are coming together now" Chat said slowly, thinking about himself and his Dad, who was right in front of him.   
"I'm happy for you"   
"Yeah, my Dad isn't much but I love him for all he is"   
Gabriel hoped that he was thinking about himself.   
"Other than that, I have you" he added while Gabriel lowered his hand from Chat's ears.   
"And of Hawkmoth?"   
"He's being a bitch as usual, the last akuma was sent out during midnight! The guy never sleeps!" he argued, but Gabriel started laughing, he couldn't understand why but he did, "-Hey, it ain't funny!" Chat frowned at him.   
"He has the harshest sense of humor" Gabriel calmed down and let out a chuckle, "Think of how things would be if I were Hawkmoth"   
"Naaaah, Hawkmoth is evil, you're way too nice, besides, what would you wish for if you had our Miraculous?"   
"A wish eh? Well...." Gabriel pretended to think, "My wife back"   
"Oh...... But isn't she missing? Aren't the police looking for her?"   
"A year of searching and no clues don't put me into ease Chat Noir, I'm worried sick. Especially as her husband, she's the love of my life"   
"Oh....." Chats ears lowered, "I'm sorry you have to go through that..... Well, if you were Hawkmoth, I'd help you find her, there are many ways to do it, why not send a scanning akuma to make the search quicker?"   
"If I could even......" Gabriel sighed, "But do you have any information about Hawkmoth at the moment?"   
"Other than trying to get our Miraculous, no" Chat slumped.   
"What about his first appearance at the eiffel tower?"   
"What about it?"   
"He did try to say something did he?"   
Chat didn't think of it. "Yeaaaah...... But Ladybug interrupted him, you think that we didn't let him talk?"   
"I suppose. Even, what does Hawkmoth really want the Miraculous for? It might not be global domination, it could be world peace"   
"I'll have to talk to Ladybug about this...."   
 _Please do._  
"In fact, Hawkmoth might not be the evil person you think, knowing me, he might be in emotional pain. And the attacks could be a cry for help"   
Chat remembered a line from a movie.... Was it Frozen?   
"People make bad choices when they're mad or sad or stressed.....?" he said softly.   
Gabriel smiled knowingly.   
"Thank you, your words won't be put to waste. We can get to the bottom of this"   
 _Yes..... Help me find her.... Please...._    
"No problem, sometimes you need a wise man. Without riddles of course"   
Chat scoffed playfully, "Thanks"   
They had finished their tea and Gabriel leaned down to put them both on the coffee table.   
"What's that?" Chat asked as he was leaning down.   
"What's what?" Gabriel asked half innocently.   
"There's silver showing a bit, is that a necklace?"   
Gabriel's eyes squeezed together tight as he knew what Chat Noir was referring to.   
He moved back up again and took out the necklace that was hanging around his neck, it was a long delicate silver chain and on the end of it rested.....  
Chat looked down to Gabriel's left hand where his wedding ring was and then looked back at his necklace which held the other. Slightly gaping in shock, he then looked up to Gabriel who held a twitch of pain in his face.   
"What....... Happened?"   
Gabriel breathed through his nose and breathed out his mouth, as if he was trying to suppress his emotions.   
"Before my wife, before Émilie went missing, we had a terrible fight" he explained, "We had the small fights that couples would have but this was the worst one of all"   
"So bad that she gave you her wedding ring?"   
Gabriel nodded.   
"It was all my fault, I said things that I shouldn't have and she got extremely upset, when I mean upset, I mean angry, she was furious with my behaviour. She told me that she needed a break, gave me the ring and left for work"  
He took another breath, "She never came back" his voice wobbled. "I don't remember what we were fighting over but the guilt and regret for what I did to her. If only if I could reverse time and stop it from happening...."   
He closed his eyes, "Knowing her, she may be angry at me and I'll wait for her until she decides when she wants to come back but......I don't expect her to forgive me"  
Well that explains everything, Chat now got the whole story as to why his Mother is gone.  
So what now...?  
Chat put a hand on Gabriel's shoulder, "I'm sorry that happened to you. You seem to love her so much"  
"I do" Gabriel whispered, "She's my soulmate"

"Then.....she'll come back, I know it"  
"How? It's been a year!"  
"Her ring is still here, it's not gone. And that's a good omen, just..... Have some faith"  
Gabriel sighed, "You're right......I'm just so worried for her and my son needs his Mother too"  
Chat hummed, "If I find her someday, I'll let you know"  
"Thank you" Gabriel said before putting his necklace back on.  
"And.....thank you, for telling me"  
"Why?"  
"Because now I know what's been bothering you"  
Gabriel smiled softly at him, "You are too good to me Chat Noir"  
"Well, everyone has got to have a pal to talk to. Besides, I have to wait for m'lady too"  
"So that makes two of us" Gabriel concluded.  
"Yup"  
Gabriel felt better.   
"Touche"  
They continued to sip on their tea comfortably.   
"Are you always alone like this? Don't you have any friends other than myself?"  
Gabriel hummed, "Not in particular......."  
"What? Really?"  
"I've always been isolated. So I find it comfortable being alone since I'm used to it"  
"You don't have any parents?"  
Adrien never met a grandfather or grandmother before other than his Mother's which he adresses them as his nan and uncle but that's it.  
"My Father was always at work, and my Mother died at childbirth"  
Chat gasped.  
"I was always in his library reading books, I taught myself to read from a young age and learned many different subjects that way. I felt as if it was a normal for a young boy, I was tutored and having friends was something that I didn't have a need to have"  
"Oh......."   
Chat realised why he pushes him so hard through his studies, he thinks that he should be able to achieve what he could, and that being in his room all the time is normal.   
Had.....he never experienced any family love?  
"It wasn't until I met Emilie when I first felt happiness and love at the age of sixteen" Gabriel added, smiling. "Is it strange?"  
"No but......in a wider point of view, when a child is to have a normal childhood, they grow up knowing that their parents love them, have fun and learn at their own pace. Having to grow up without their loved ones is lonely and heartbreaking........I know that I wouldn't know what to do without my Father. Most kids think that studying all day long is stressful and frustrating. In my classroom, when homework is mentioned, everyone shares their verbal hate for it unless if it is made into something a lot of fun"  
"Like what?"  
"Like for example, if we take a look at how we can apply trigonometry to real life situations so we can see and further appreciate it as we do may need it in the future. That way, learning how to do it will come easier because most of us don't understand why we need to know such formulas"  
"Oh, that's.....odd.....but I see it now, society is different to my own visual view of life. I must have missed so much"  
"Ha, well, have you heard of trampolines?"  
"Erm......." Gabriel searched his knowledge.   
"Nooooo!" Chat gasped, "You're crazy! What about pillow fights?"   
Gabriel's eyes lowered, "Why on earth would you want to fight with pillows?"   
"Trust me, try it. Adrien will know how to have fun"  
"What do you propose then?"  
"Try that fort idea, its the best way to get to know him and learn how to have fun doing it. You'll go with a flow, you'll find it"   
"Well, I found it before then why not?"  
"Let him around the place, if he truly does love you then he will want to get to know you. Then your surroundings wouldn't be so lonely"  
Gabriel looked down at Chat Noir, "Why are you so nice to me?"  
"What?" Chat was visually taken aback by the question.   
"I know that a lot of people dislike me. So why?"  
"Ah......" Chat was rather surprised, "I don't know.....how to answer that question...."  
Gabriel smiled, "It's fine, you don't need to answer that"  
"So" he turned to the side of his seat, leaning down, "You mentioned that your lady aspires to become a fashion designer, so I took some time to pick out some fabrics to give her. They're rare so she will treasure them and I would like to find out what she will make with them" he lifted up a big pile of leathers, silk and cotton and put it in his arms, "Oh wow! She'll want to thank you in person"  
"She is very welcome to"  
"Thank you, for your help. She's going to love this" Chat said heartfully.  
"And thank you, for being such a good friend" Gabriel said honestly.  
Chat gave him a grateful smile, "I'd do it again in a heartbeat"   
  
 _I think that this is my son..... I never thought that he would come to me like this......he really is my little miracle......_    
  
"I better get going" Chat announced.  
"Good night Chat Noir, and good luck to you"   
Chat got up from the couch, "You too, in finding your wife. Thanks for the tea, and the fabrics"  
"I'll see you then" Gabriel got up as well.   
  
Adrien was grateful that he told him everything, now he could find a way to help him. He leaned in a hugged him out of the older man's surprise and he felt his arms wrap around him.  
"Well, I mustn't keep my lady waiting" Chat let go and went to the open window.   
"See you later Chat Noir" Gabriel bid farewell.   
The cat leaped out.  
  
 _Bye......_    
  
Chat Noir Joe's from roof to roof with the fabrics in his hands before he spotted his lady hanging from a high roof.   
"Hey LB!" He called out before landing next to her. She grinned at him as she spotted what he had in his hands, "What have you bought me now Chat?" She giggled before inspecting the expensive leather and silk, her face dropped in shock, "Chat.....you didn't have to....."  
"It's in courtesy of Gabriel Agreste, he wanted you to have these to support your dream" Chat explained.  
"Oh Chat......this is crazy expensive!!! I can't accept this!!!!"   
"Oh I insist, he has much more money and has a whole shed of it. He would like to know what you will make out of this" Chat chuckled at her expression as she looked at the fabrics and played around with them. She held her breath, "I'll take them" she squeaked, "I simply cannot dismiss the opportunity!" She took them out of his hands and Chat laughed at her. "I know that you'll make something amazing"   
"Just when I thought that my day couldn't get any better.....this comes!"   
"You had a good day as I did?"   
"Yup" Ladybug nodded, "But first, I better get these back to my room before we can start patrol"  
"I'll be waiting here for you m'lady"   
  
When Chat got home that night and slipped into bed leaving Plagg with his well deserved cheese, the next thing he didn't expect was for his Father to come in his room.   
He faked sleep but listened as he heard his footsteps approach him.   
He heard a soft sigh, before he felt his breath come closer. He almost froze for what was to come but then he felt a pair of lips kiss his forehead.   
The soft feeling tickled his heart and he felt himself smile.  
"Goodnight son, I love you" he heard.  
He instantly wanted to cry at that moment.  
  
"I love you too Dad"   
  
The words just spilled out of his mouth and Gabriel blinked in surprise.   
  
He blinked again to find Adrien looking up at him, "Er....." Gabriel caught himself.   
Adrien gave a little giggle, "It means the world to me for you to say that"  
Gabriel sighed happily, "For me too" he proceeded to tuck him in, and out of the blue, Adrien got up and placed a small peck on his Father's cheek.   
  
 _What.....?_  
  
Gabriel just froze.   
  
"Goodnight Dad" Adrien said.   
Gabriel pulled himself together, "Goodnight son" he gave him a smile and went out his room.  
  
After closing the door he let out a confused breath and touched the side of his cheek where his son kissed him.   
  
 _My son loves me......_  
 _Adrien loves me....._  
  
He felt his heart flutter. And he sniffed.   
  
 _I'm so happy....._    
  
"Sir?" He heard Nathalie's concerned voice and he wiped his growing tears.  
"I'm fine Nathalie"   
She just gave a knowing smile at him.  
"What?"   
"You never cry sir. The only time you did was when Adrien was born"   
 _That was.....true....._    
"I'm going to bed Nathalie, you are dismissed for the night" he said and walked past her, he went down the stairs and towards his quarters through the main hall where he suddenly skidded to a halt. 

  
The main painting that Adrien told him about.   
He felt himself scowl, it was ugly! What on earth came on his mind to put that up?!  
He felt the sting of his own guilt in it and felt an arrow pierce his chest. Ugh.   
  
He's going to put it down tomorrow.

 

 


	12. Day 17

Gabriel woke up to a pleasant warmth enveloping him, it was nice, having to wake up to comfy peace.   
His eyes fluttered as he caught the familiar figure of his son. "Hey Dad"   
"Adrien" Gabriel said, he pushed himself up from the layers of doonas and sheets below him. He let out a huge yawn which made him quite refreshed really.   
"What time is it? It's still light though I feel like I have been sleeping a long time" he asked, feeling half asleep.   
"Yeaaaah, you've been out of it, like, twelve hours or so. It's tomorrow in the afternoon" Adrien explained.   
"Oh god" Gabriel rubbed his face, "I was definitely out of it"   
I have enough energy for a good akuma Gabriel thought.   
"I got the chef to prepare you an afternoon meal, you must be hungry"   
The loud growling following after made Adrien laugh.   
"I think that will be my stomach saying "yes please", pardon me" Gabriel mumbled in surprise.   
Gabriel crawled out of their fort and stood up to stretch. "Oh, that was the best sleep I had in a long time....." He groaned pleasantly.   
"That's good. You'll be able to focus better now"   
"I have no doubt about that, I will be able to catch up on what I have missed in office" He scoffed.   
"Do you need some peace and quiet while you work? I'm planning to go to the movies with my friends"   
"Oh good, it's Saturday so you should go and enjoy yourself with them"   
"I will be back by nine" Adrien confirmed.   
"Make sure you do. I will be here when you come home, keep me updated if anything changes"   
"I will"   
"Then, have a good time" Gabriel smiled and gave his son a peck on the forehead.   
"I will Dad, I'll see you later" Adrien said and left the room.

Without a word, he went to his office, put his fingers in the right slots to activate a platform to bring him down to his lair.   
Immediately, Nooroo came down to greet him.   
"What are we doing today Master?" Nooroo asked.   
"We are going to find Emilie, the right way this time"

Adrien met up with Marinette, Alya and Nino for their long awaited movie, its the first meetup in a long time since Adrien was allowed to join, and he was more than estactic to be able to be with his friends.   
"It's so good to have you here Adrien, finally!" Alya said.   
"Yeah" Adrien let out an excited breath, "Since my Dad has been more felixible, we can do more together"   
"Damn right dude"   
There was a beep from Alya's phone that she picked straight up, after a few swipes, Adrien swore her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.   
"What?" Marinette asked.   
"Ohmygod!!"   
"What?" Nino repeated.   
"Hawkmoth has been sighed in the city!!!" She gasped wildly, "Sorry to postpone, I've got to film him!!"   
Adrien and Marinette shared a worried glance.   
"Why on earth is Hawkmoth....?" Nino started.  
"I better get home for my own sake, if Hawkmoth is running about, there's no telling what he would do" Adrien said, a bit upset that their activity had been driven to a halt but he felt a bit surprised.   
"Me too....." Marinette have a worried look.   
"Stay safe then Marinette, you too Nino" he said before Alya rushed off, waving goodbye.   
They all split up to run, while Adrien ran for a hiding spot.  
"We better find out what Hawkmoth is up to" Adrien said to Plagg.   
"Just be careful kid" Plagg said sternly.  
"I will" Adrien nodded.

Gabriel found someone to scan the city for him, but she took more time in trying to find what she had lost, so he took his patience watching her as he stood at a tall building.   
Scantizer ran around in a frenzy to find her lost item while he waited.   
"Look who's come to join the par-tay" Chat joked as he landed a good distance away.   
"Good to see your fuzzy face Chat Noir" Hawkmoth said flatly, trying not to show any emotions.   
"You have some gut to come out in the open like this" Ladybug said from the opposite side of Chat Noir, he had to turn his head, "Did you have a change of plans?" She asked, her face all focused and ready for anything.  
"If we are going to have a nice talk, I would say that I do have a good change of plans. I only want to find what I have lost and I will be on my way"   
"Looking for our miraculous I suppose?" Chat guessed.   
Hawkmoth felt himself scoff, "I have no need for them anymore. There are better ways to fix my errors, and that is going forward, not back"   
Ladybug was surprised, the two heroes shared a glance.   
"Now if you will excuse me, my akuma and I are trying to find what we have lost. When we are finished, I will let her go without harming any lives"   
"Easy for you to say when you have already done so much of that" Ladybug spat.   
".......You don't believe me do you?" Hawkmoth sighed, he wasn't surprised.   
"Not one bit unfortunately" Chat answered.   
Chat was just really confused at the turn of events.   
"Well, if something has to be done, it has to be done" Hawkmoth turned to get his sword and he just simply drops it to the ground.   
"There, now you can't simply attack an unarmed man can't you?"   
"What are you trying to do?" Ladybug questioned.  
"Well. I've been stupid. Haven't I?"   
"Well......" Ladybug started and Hawkmoth rose an eyebrow, "You have"   
"Keep going"   
"You've been an asshole, a total dickass, you take our beauty sleep, our grades....." She started counting, "Our class time......our family time....you attack our friends, our families, our precious activities....." She gave out a groan.   
"Technically, you're a pain in the ass" Chat concluded.   
"Yeah"   
_Oh woe is me._    
"So....what are you going to do? Turn me in?" Hawkmoth asked.   
"Weeeelll......you have broken heaps of laws so yes, that's what we are going to do" Chat replied.  
"Now?"   
"Yeah, now, and get rid of that akuma"   
"She's not hurting anyone" Hawkmoth shook his head.   
"Let us be the judge of that. Technically, we can't trust you"   
"Alright then......just so you two know.....I don't have any armour, and I'm not going to attack any of you. I do not want any trouble"   
"We will see about that then" Chat felt a little reluctant about the whole thing.   
Hawkmoth braced himself and watched the two leap at him.   
He dodged, fast, he didn't have any defences, but he did have stamina.   
Landing, Chat kicked away the forgotten sword before Hawkmoth put his arms up in defence.

The two heroes shared a confident but confused glance about Hawkmoth's intentions.   
Hawkmoth only went out so his akuma wouldn't be attacked, he didn't want Ladybug and Chat Noir attacking the poor girl, unlike any of his akumas, this one is conscious and if they got in the way, he wouldn't be able to find Emilie.

The older man did nothing to attack, he just dodged everything that they did.   
"Do you just use akumas to attack people so you can consider yourself guilty?" Chat asked.  
"I'm offense Chat Noir, I can't go outside and be able to withstand a blow. I'd be out of my mind to do that"

Ladybug wanted to find out how strong he is, so she threw her yoyo at his waist, wrapping him a couple of times before the man spun to unwrap the cord, he grabbed it and pulled it out of Ladybugs reach, and threw away the weapon.

"Scanitizer, find her. Now" Hawkmoth commanded as he communicated with his akuma.   
"I'll go after Scanitizer" Chat said, "You handle Hawkmoth, he might be smart but you're amazing, I know you can do it" he gave her a knowing smile before leaping off.

 _Shit._  

Hawkmoth leaped after him.   
"Damn! Come back here Hawkmoth!!" Ladybug went after her yoyo, picked it up and went after him.

Chat followed after Scanitizer who was busy scanning the city from the tallest building she could find "Hey I've-got-a-terrible-name!" He chuckled, and Scanitizer turned round, startled, "What are you doing?! I let Hawkmoth take control of me, please don't attack! I'm not so good with battles....."   
Chat was surprised, "Really? You're not all crazy?" He asked.

The akuma shook her head rapidly, "He's only helping me find my precious necklace I lost......"   
"Let her go Chat Noir! She's not prepped for battle!" Hawkmoth warned from afar "I swear, if you hurt her.....you'll have her family and boyfriend to answer to. Plus, it's too dangerous and high up here to fight"   
"First move in!" Ladybug swung in and Hawkmoth flew in front of his akuma.  
"Ladybug!" Chat was afraid that he would try and attack his beloved so he moved quickly in front of Ladybug to push her away but her yoyo got in the way of Chat Noir and got heard to head with it.   
Instinctively, Hawkmoth ran over to catch him and they both fell.

Ladybug screamed Chat's name when she saw his baton fly out of his hands.

"You're an idiot you know that. Protecting Ladybug" Hawkmoth muttered.   
"It's my job" Chat replied, "You're crazier than I am, you said it yourself, you don't have any armour. This is going to hurt"   
"At least you're the one not withstanding the blow" Hawkmoth wrapped his arms around Chat Noir rightly.   
"This is going to be rough" the older man grunted.   
They both heard the shrill whistling of the wind going past them.   
"Why are you doing this.....?" Chat asked unexpectedly.   
He felt something.....something familiar about him.....   
The next thing he saw was Hawkmoths eyes go wide in shock before they felt a deafening thud all around them. Chat felt his body push and he gasped for breath before he bounced out of Hawkmoths arms a bit due to the gravity of the fall.   
Hitting concreate, he groaned, dust was everywhere. He coughed and waved about.   
"Urrrrrgghhhh......" He heard an awful sound coming from Hawkmoth, he looked like he was in so much pain.   
"Chat Noir!" Ladybug landed on the ground, "Oh god you're- eeeeiiiiiiiiiihhhhhh!!!!!" She suddenly shreiked, jumping back she pointed at his suit, Chat, wondering what she shreiked about, looked at himself to find lines and patterns of Hawkmoth purple all over his suit.   
"L-ladybuuuuggggg!!?!" He jumped and he took a slow breath, "What's happening to me??!!"  
He turned to Hawkmoth who just gaped at Chat Noir. "Shit no. For real?"   
"Explain. Right now!" Ladybug approached Hawkmoth but Chat stopped her, "Hey.....m'lady....a little care, he's hurt"   
Chat bent down to the older man who was grasping his side in pain, "You saved me"   
Hawkmoth wanted to smile but his face twisted in pain, "I think I broke something" he tried to get up but he yelped.   
Ladybug turned soft in realization, "You....you saved my Chaton"   
"Have you cast your lucky charm?" Chat asked.   
"I did when you both fell....."   
"Cast your miraculous heal. Then he will get better"   
"But...."  
"Please? For me?"   
"Well......If it could take away those freaky marks"   
She called her miraculous cure and the concrete and Hawkmoths injury were fixed, the man breathed and he could get up again.   
"Thank you Ladybug" Hawkmoth said gratefully.   
She crossed her arms and looked at Chat, who still had his marks.   
"Please explain this"  
Hawkmoth stepped back, "I don't know the answer to that Ladybug"   
"Then at least withdraw your akuma"   
"No!"   
"Then......" Chat could feel something within him, "I will"   
Hawkmoth scoffed, "Don't be ridicilous"   
Chat took a breath and Ladybug squeaked when she saw a butterfly pattern on her parters face.   
"Withdraw" Chat commanded and Hawkmoth immedietely turned to Scanitizer who landed to the ground and de akumatised, a white butterfly flew away from her, surprising the trio.   
"No....." Hawkmoth shook his head. He turned away from them, "You ruined my plans, how dare you"   
"I guess you must turn yourself in now" Ladybug said.   
"No, he saved me, let him go" Chat opposed.   
With a tsk, Hawkmoth flew off into the distance.

"Why did you do that? We could have finally gotten him!" Ladybug argued.   
"Hawkmoth saved my life! He saved me and risked his own"   
"He survived, you have the armour to survive that fall"   
"No I don't! Because Hawkmoth has been in his suit longer than us! He is much stronger, though he doesn't have the defenses!"   
Ladybug was taken aback, "How do you know that?"   
"Huh" Chat was taken aback by his knowledge, "I don't know, I think I felt it, I guess....." Chat looked through his thoughts, "I had a feeling I knew him when I had his arms protecting me...."   
Ladybug looked worried, "We just get you to Fu, and examine your suit.....it's making me worry"

They got to Master Fu as soon as possible, when Wayzz greeted them, he went into a huge shock when he saw Chat Noir but Fu calmly came over to take a look.   
"What has happened here Chat Noir?" The small man asked.   
"We had an encounter with Hawkmoth to the point that I had close contact with him and.....this happened...." Chat explained, gesturing to his suit.   
"This may be odd but, Hawkmoth saved Chat Noir in a high fall" Ladybug added.   
"And Hawkmoth?"   
"He broke something but I fixed it with my heal"   
"If that is so then Hawkmoth is stronger than any of us. No butterfly can sustain such a fall like that. As for you Chat Noir......how do you feel?"   
"Tingly, like I'm feeling new magic within me. I was able to withdraw Hawkmoth's akuma"  
Wayzz gasped.   
"Is it bad?" Ladybug asked.   
"That depends on how you make it. It appears to me that you have made a fusion of Hawkmoth's powers"   
"A fusion? But I don't have his miraculous...."   
"That's when things get complicated Chat Noir, did your Mother and Father have trouble conceiving?"   
"They did. My Mother couldn't hold a baby for very long"   
"Then that explains your powers. At some point, one of your parents must have used the magic of the butterfly to help conceive you, and like any baby, what the Mother has received can be passed to the child"   
Ladybugs eyes went wide at that.   
"The close contact with Hawkmoth must have activated your abilities"   
"But does that mean that Hawkmoth is one of my parents?"   
"It could be anyone, he might not be. He simply could have stolen the miraculous and became the current holder and not the holder that weilded Nooroo while you were conceived long ago"   
"Oh. Phew, then Hawkmoth might not be my Father then"   
"He could still be. So be careful"   
"I will. So....what do I do about my powers?" He asked.   
"Plagg is simply catching the magic off you so you can use them while transformed, whilst out of transformation, I would advise you to be careful but the magic may only be active while transformed so keep an eye on it"   
"Okay. One last thing"   
"Yes?"   
"When I was falling.....and Hawkmoth had his arms around me to keep me safe.....I swear, I think I know him......."   
Fu eyed Chat carefully.  
"Who do you think he is?"   
"I think........I think he's my Father. It kind of makes sense"   
"What clicks Chat Noir?"   
"Well, my Mother and Father had a fight a year ago, the last time I talked to him, he said that he would take anything to reverse time to fix what he had done. And today he tried to find something......I think it's her, he's trying to fix the error of his ways. When we saw him today, he had no intention of attacking us, even his akuma"   
Fu thought about this carefully, "Love makes us do strange things Chat Noir, if you are right, he'll come clear to you eventually"   
Chat nodded, "I love him very much......we have gotten so close lately....."  
"Then he will come out to you, just give him time"  
Chat felt a bit better at that.   
"Okay"   
"Then take care Chat Noir, Ladybug. And if you see him again, talk to him"   
"Alright Master Fu"

Adrien hurried back home to his Father, who he found in the main hall, he seemed to have been pacing.   
"Adrien! Are you okay?" He asked, they instantly went into a hug. "You're not hurt at all?"   
"I'm unharmed, there is not a scratch on me"   
"Oh!" He was relieved, "Thank goodness" Gabriel let go of him.   
"I didn't know you got so worried about me when an akuma roams around"   
"You haven't seen it but, I get rather anxious"   
"I can't blame you"   
They pulled in for another hug.   
"It's late, shall we have some dinner? I got us some pasta"   
"Oooh, count me in! I'm hungry"   
They went to the dining room.

Sitting next to each other, Adrien eyed his long bunches of spaghetti, and slurped down long strings in one go, hearing the noises, he thought that he would get scolded for it, but then Gabriel forked a long string and slurped it up faster than he did as of he was starting a challenge.   
"You must be enjoying your meal, the chef will be very pleased to hear that" he said.  
"What? Why?"   
"The culture in Japan praise people for making noises at the table, it means that you appreciate your meal. And I know I'm getting my money's worth"   
Adrien gave a surprised chuckle. "Just don't let one of the noodles hit your glasses"   
"Ey!" Gabriel squeaked in protest and Adrien just laughed, "If genetics kicks in, you'll have a pair of your own!"   
"Ooh, I think I'll look sexy in my own pair?" Adrien joked as he wiggled his own eyes.   
"Poor miss Marinette would fall deeper into love land if you do, but if you didn't, I'd be disappointed" Gabriel grinned at his suggestion.   
"Typical Dad" Adrien pouted but Gabriel just laughed at him.

Nathalie was astounded at the slurping noises that Mr Agreste was making with his son, his behaviour and attitude had just turned.

After their pasta, Gabriel surprised his son by gulping down the whole glass of milk in one go, he took a second, and burped.   
"Oh geez" he cringed, "I can't remember the last time I've done that. Wow, my stomach hurts now, ugh, so nice to be young again" he said sarcastically.   
Astounded, Adrien clapped at his Father's performance.

If Nathalie went into the past and told Mr Agreste about this, she was sure that he wouldn't believe her.

"Have you done your homework, Chinese and paino classes?" Gabriel asked his son.   
Nathalie knew, as the good boy Adrien is, did his classes.  
"Yes, I have done them"   
"Just to let you know, before I forget, you have a photoshoot tomorrow"   
"What? No! Cancell it!" Adrien shook his head.   
Gabriel furrowed, "Why?"   
"Do you have any idea what tomorrow is?"   
Gabriel searched his mind, "Remind me....."   
"It's Father's day"   
"Oh" Gabriel found himself surprised, is Adrien wanting to celebrate....?   
"How can I be doing a photoshoot when I want to be celebrating you......?" Adrien got up from his seat and hugged him from behind.  
"Aw really?" Gabriel was touched, he couldn't remember the last time he did Father's day.  
"This week has been the best thing in my life, getting to know you and having fun together. I want to thank you for that when you have so much work to do, providing for the both of us, and giving what we have....." They snuggled as their cheeks pressed together. "I wanna show how much I love you..."   
Gabriel's heart melted, "Oh Adrien, you have done so much for me as well. I'm touched, I truly am. Do you really want to do Father's day?"   
"Yeah"   
"Then tell you what, I'll move the photoshoot in the afternoon so we have plenty of time to do things in the morning, and when you're done, we can go out for dinner. How does that sound?"   
"Wonderful" Adrien was happy with that.   
"There, now we can both get some things done. It's about being flexible"   
"Doesn't sound so bad now" Adrien smiled, "I hope that spending time with me has stopped much of your work"   
"Not at all, I make designs, submit them, do meetings and make the pieces for my designs. I just have someone else to do everything else for me. I'll teach you how it works someday"   
"I'd love to know how it's done"  
Gabriel reached up and stroked his sons hair, "So, what movie are we going to watch tonight?"   
"Hmm.....why don't you choose this time?"   
Adrien then got an idea, "Erm, I have a different idea. You can say no"   
"What is the idea?"   
"Your phone made me curious, could you tell me a story on how you and Mum met?"   
"How much did you see?" Gabriel asked nervously.   
"Errr......" Adrien tried to come up with an answer and Gabriel frowned, "You didn't see the......"   
"You don't need to tell me about that. I'm not ready for the talk yet" Adrien said rapidly, "Besides, I couldn't see anything"   
Gabriel let out a deep breath of releif. "Adrien...."   
"I didn't know it was there. Sorry, the captions gave it away"   
"We are going to have the talk someday nothernless Adrien, avoiding it won't delay it"   
Adrien groaned.   
"Besides, I washed you when you were a baby and changed much more diapers than you think. You used to grab my hair....."   
"Ouch, sorry about that" Adrien grimaced.   
"One time, you walked right into my office and pushed a glass mannequin over"   
"Aaargh, sorry....."   
Gabriel laughed. "It's good memories though, you laughed at my face when I reacted. I was much more worried about you though, I didn't want you facing the brink of death"   
"I'm your only son, did you have trouble with me?"   
"Your Mother couldn't hold a baby for long, so you were miracle"   
"So Mum was infertile or something?"   
"Yes she was, my swimmers are perfectly fine thank you very much"   
"Swimmers?"   
"I'll tell you what they are later. Other than that, I was very protective when you were a baby, while I would work, your Mother would nurse you and look after you. In the meantime I made sure that there was nothing sharp in your way, no money to swallow and no batteries. All doors were proofed because you crawled everywhere"   
"I bet I did" Adrien smirked.   
"Good lord, you can even jump out of a window. How do you do that?"   
"I can show you if you like"   
"God no I rather not"   
Adrien giggled. "Well I'll go to the lounge where you can tell me more, please?"   
"Of course, I'll catch up with you" he let Adrien go and the boy walked right out of the room.

"Nathalie, show me Adrien's grades please" he motioned for her tablet, as Nathalie gave it to him, he took a look at his test results and instantly he smiled.   
Perfect grades. In which he didn't demand for two weeks, and he's so happy, his performance has improved.   
"Thank you Nathalie" he said as he gave the tablet back. "I better get to Adrien. You are dismissed for the day"   
"Thank you sir"   
As Nathalie left, he looked to the portrait in the middle of the dining room, the one of the whole family together.   
His eyes went straight to Emilie, and gave her a soft smile.   
"Come home soon dear, I will be waiting"

Adrien went to his room on the way with some Vegemite for Plagg.   
"Here is your smelly yeast extract" he gave his kwami a jar.   
"Finally!!" Plagg grabbed the jar and placed it next to his cheese, opened the jar, grabbed a knife to get a nice amount before wiping it on top of some camembert.   
"Taste test..." Plagg gulped down the piece of cheese and he melted, "Ohhhh! It's perrrrfeeeeect!!!"   
"Good for you Plagg......can you please keep it in the cheese storage to avoid the smell?"   
"Fine. I will. And you surprised me with that butterfly magic, the close contact with that Hawkmoth guy activated it. It's dangerous to use magic like that, it's never happened before so be careful. Just be grateful that the butterfly comes from my end of the circle"   
"Thanks for the heads up. It's a strange change"   
"Have some fun with your likely Hawkmoth Dad"   
Adrien rolled his eyes, "Enjoy the salty paste" he said before he left.   
When he got to the lounge, Gabriel had a few large albums next to him, Adrien excitedly sat next to his father.   
"Your Mother and I always loved taking memorial photos using our classic old camera" he picked up an old camera from behind him, "You would slot a photo in there, take a photo and you'd have to shake it for a picture"   
"Wow, an instant photo, that's so interesting...." Adrien carefully picked it up from Gabriel's hands, and instantly he could feel its importance. It had been in their hands since the beginning.   
"Here. This is when we met in the first year of college" Gabriel had grabbed an album and took out the first photo, Adrien had a look at the younger version of Gabriel and Emilie, Emilie looked her own beautiful self, she didn't look any different to now really, but Gabriel on the other side had a slightly smoother chin and his facial features were happier and perkier with a hint of shyness. Emilie seemed to be the one holding the camera up, "This is when we met in the first year of college" Gabriel had grabbed an album and took out the first photo, Adrien had a look at the younger version of Gabriel and Emilie, Emilie looked her own beautiful self, she didn't look any different to now really, but Gabriel on the other side had a slightly smoother chin and his facial features were happier and perkier with a hint of shyness. Emilie seemed to be the one holding the camera up, "This was Mum's idea was it?" He asked.   
"It was, I was such a shy young man then. I grew up without a Mother and my Father was always working to support me so he was hardly around. I had a nanny to look after me, and a tutor"   
"Why a tutor?"   
"My Father wanted me to have the best education, so when I grew up, I didn't end up in a bad place. My Father was always working because he didn't have the best income, and I was always alone in his library full of books and that was all I had"  
"What happened to your Mother?" Adrien asked.   
"She died in childbirth, I never got to know her"   
"Oh, I'm sorry about that......"   
Gabriel continued on, "I was raised in a small town, so when I was a teenager I travelled to the city so I can study further for my education, I worked part time jobs, tailors, shoe shops.....and that's where I got my inspiration from"   
"To become a fashion designer" Adrien concluded.  
"Yes, I was always inspired by people's work, but materials were expensive so I got a slot to go to college for a fine arts university so I could be provided with the equipment I needed. That's when I met your Mother"   
Gabriel brought out the album in front of Adrien and put the picture back in place, "These are the ones I took of your Mother, modeling for some students"  
Adrien took a look and gasped, "She's beautiful....."   
"She is the reason why I can draw model poses to this day for my designs. I drew her so many times that the pattern was stuck in my head"   
Adrien smiled as he examined the pictures, "She's so pretty......"   
"She is beautiful isn't she? She would model every Tuesday, but I couldn't hide it for long. Your Mother, she's sneaky you see. But I got to ask her out for coffee despite my shyness"   
Adrien grinned at his Dad, "Smooth Dad, smooth"   
"We started dating a month later and I was introduced to her parents"  
"What were they like?"   
"They disapproved me because I was poor at the time"   
"What did you do?"   
"We ran off and told them that I would make them eat their words" he remembered Emilie running with him willingly with her middle finger extended.   
"Did they?" Adrien grinned.   
"They did, when I became a powerful man of course. But they disliked me much more when Emilie went missing"  
"Ugh. I hope they don't hate me"   
"I'm sure that you'll be able to meet them someday. They're not bad, just....old fashioned. My Father loved her though, her beauty defined her personaliy"   
"Is your Father a nice man?"   
"I don't know him enough to an extent but yes"   
"Then I'd like to see him someday too" Adrien smiled before turning back to the album. "So if her parents didn't like you, then who walked Mum down the aisle?"   
"Andre. He was skinnier then"   
Adrien gaped when he saw young pictures of Andre.   
"I had some friends come along too. But the wedding was absolutely beautiful" Gabriel smiled sweetly at the memory as he looked over the wedding photos with Adrien as his boy gasped at how beautiful she was.   
"I made her wedding dress for her"   
"You designed it?" Adrien asked in awe.   
"Yes. We were so happy, even more so when you came along"   
As Adrien went through the baby photos and his childhood growing up, Gabriel smiled. And then that smile grew weak.   
"Dad?" Adrien asked worriedly.   
"I'm okay" Gabriel breathed softly.  
Adrien watched him stare at the album for a while, and his eyes started getting a little misty.   
"Your story doesn't end here Dad" Adrien said.   
"I hope not" Gabriel whispered, "I'm just.....scared...."   
"About what?"   
"I wonder if she's alright, I don't even know if she is even alive. If she's still angry I'm scared that she might come back asking to take you with her, or a divorce....." He breathed, "Other than than that, I feel so guilty for pushing her away the way I did before she dissappeared"   
"Did you have a fight?" Adrien asked as he put the album down.   
Gabriel nodded. "I'm sorry, it's my fault your Mother is gone" he admitted.   
Adrien knew that, but as Chat, to hear that as Adrien felt shocking. He surprised himself by feeling so strongly.   
"Do you still love her?" Adrien asked, his voice became wobbly.  
"Yes" Gabriel breathed as he nodded his head, "I'm sorry I shut you away, I didn't want you to see me like this. I'm just so.....guilty, and broken"   
It pained to see him like this.   
"Can you forgive your old Pere?" Gabriel asked him weakly.   
Adrien put his hands on Gabriel's leg, "Hey....." And he went to hug him, "I forgive you"   
Gabriel hugged him back with his eyes clenched with tears and Adrien rubbed his back.  
"I know she will come back" Adrien said, "She knows you best, she loves you, she will come"   
"Thank you Adrien" Gabriel squeaked.   
As they drew back, Gabriel let out a releived breath and Adrien wiped his tears with his thumb. With a sniffle from the older man, he smiled as a good weight off his shoulders came off.   
"You're such a good son to me Adrien"   
"And you're my best Dad" Adrien smiled back.   
Gabriel pulled him into another hug.

"Are you alright to go to sleep in your own bed?" Adrien asked.   
"I'll be alright" Gabriel replied, "Since there has been some things off my shoulders now, I should be able to sleep better"   
"Okay, great. Have a good night's sleep then" he hugged him.   
"You too son. Get some sleep for tomorrow" Gabriel smiled in response to the hug as he put his arms around Adrien.   
They broke apart and went to bed.

In the middle of the night, Adrien felt some disturbance. It went on for an hour and it was making him worried.   
"Plagg, I think something is outside"   
"Could be Nooroo's powers, he can feel emotions" Plagg replied, looking half bothered.  
"I'm gonna go take a night run to take a look" Adrien pushed open his window and transformed.   
Jumping out, his suit glowed a light purple and he searched for the emotions he was feeling.   
In the distance, was a dark figure. He squinted to try and figure out the outline of the guy, then he registered.   
It was Hawkmoth, sitting on his family roof.   
"Hawkmoth?" He walked along the tiles and the man jumped right up in surprise.   
"I'm not here to fight. Relax" Chat came up to him as close as he could.   
"Curse your night vision" Hawkmoth grumbled.  
He noticed that Hawkmoth wasn't carrying his weapon so he dropped his own. Hearing the clank and roll of his baton confirmed it.   
"Let's sit down, talk"   
"Why?"  
"Because you saved my life, I trust that you won't attack me"   
Hawkmoth scoffed, "Like I can. You have my abilities, if I set an akuma, you can just dismiss it without a care in the world"   
There was a silence, "You're trying to find someone, or something"   
"My wife. I know that you don't like what I have done but I admit that it was wrong"   
"Ah"   
"What?"   
"I understand" Chat said sheepishly.   
Hawkmoth softened a bit, "I'm glad we're on the same page"   
They slowly sat down a comfortable distance from each other.   
"Is there any way I can help you?" Chat asked.   
"What?" Hawkmoth's head spun so fast to meet Chats eyes.   
"I can help you find your wife. If that's the purpose of your akuma's, to try and get her back"  
Hawkmoth shook his head, "I can't get you involved"   
"Hawkmoth, I think that we are both very involved already"   
Hawkmoth moved his head back and looked at Chat carefully, he seemed half surprised.

They both knew, and it seemed like they did for a while, it wasn't surprising to an extent. 

They relaxed. 

   
"We're Father and son aren't we?" Hawkmoth asked.   
"Yeah. How long did you know?"   
"I suspected. But I couldn't be sure. I'm sorry I interrupted your activity with your friends"   
"We postponed, it's okay. But other than that Dad, I'm so glad you came through"   
"I'm more surprised that you are the one who even approached me in the first place. Why?"

"I hated our relationship. It was terrible, I wanted it to change. Landing on your window wasn't my idea, I crashed"   
Hawkmoth smiled, "Thank you"   
"Really?" Chat smiled, surprised at that.   
"Nothing would have changed if you didn't open my eyes"  
Chat smiled softly. "How did you figure me out?"  
"When I saved you......and saw your purple patterns, all I knew was that I gave the butterfly magic to only you. Then it came to me"   
Chat looked down, "I figured it out then too"   
"Do you hate me now?"   
"No" Adrien shook his head almost instantly.   
"Why?"   
"Because when I was Adrien around your akuma's, you tried to keep me safe. Knowing that you did, you do love me, it makes sense in the place you were in. Desperate to fix your own mistakes"   
"Yeah....." Hawkmoth whispered. "Mistakes I'll never forgive myself for. Attacking you"   
"That wasn't your fault not knowing"   
"But I should have"   
"You're making the right choices now. And the right thing is to help and support you, not looking on the past"   
Gabriel smiled, "How come you're so wise in your suit?"   
"To be honest, I think it's from Plagg. Having experience in this sort of thing has it's perks"   
Hawkmoth chuckled, "I see"  
Chat smiled, "You're still my Dad" he said softly.   
As Hawkmoth's eyes widened a little, Chat changed the subject.   
"By the way, I thought you were supposed to be sleeping!"   
"Says you" Hawkmoth frowned.   
"I could sense that you were worried!"   
"Ah. Well, that's gone now"   
"I'm just saying, if you can't sleep, then I can always keep you company"   
"Sleep in my bed?" Hawkmoth asked in surprise.  
"Why not?"   
Hawkmoth thought for a second. "Alright" He got up, "Let's go"   
"Now?" Chat asked, _already?_    
"I want my beauty sleep and knowing that it's Father's day tomorrow, I'm guessing that you want to cook something for me" Hawkmoth grinned.   
"Damn. Is it that obvious?"   
"You came home smelling of a bakery, yes, it's that obvious"   
Chat got up and took Hawkmoth's extended hand.   
"Oh. Wow......it feels like your real hand" he looked up, "By the way, you don't look much different to your own face, but you do look a bit younger"   
"I'll take that as a compliment" Hawkmoth grinned, "Come on, follow me"   
Hawkmoth lead him along the roof before he stopped, "I think you better pick up your baton, I left my sword in my bedroom"  
"Ah" Chat let go of his hand and jumped down from the roof to pick up his baton, putting it in place, he jumped back up.   
"Good. Now come along" he gently grabbed Chats hand again before they approached a nearby window.   
"Alright. Do you know how to warp?" Hawkmoth asked.  
"Errr, I haven't tried it yet"   
"It'll come to you, just try not to crash into any more windows"   
"Hardy har" Chat faked a laugh.   
He watched as Hawkmoth warped and travelled through the window.   
"Wow....." He caught his breath before focusing on his task, shortly he found himself travelling through a window and crashing on the floor.   
Hawkmoth sniggered at him, "Well that wasn't bad for a first go" he went up to Chat and helped him up.   
"It was a bit.....warpy...." Chat tried to register his balance, wobbling a bit.   
"It does take a bit of practise"  
They both shared a chuckle.   
"Well......" Hawkmoth started, "This it it"   
Chat smiled at him, "My turn. Claws in"   
A shine of green light wrapped him before he was Adrien again with Plagg floating beside him.   
It took a moment to register it.   
"Oh my god....."   
"Yeah, who knew that I slept in Hawkmoth's very civilian pockets!" Plagg replied.   
"Well, you do explain why my son buys so much cheese" Hawkmoth said, "My turn"  
Adrien watched as Hawkmoth transformed back into the very image of his Father. His eyes widened as it was very true, once Gabriel opened his eyes and saw his sons shocked expression, he didn't know what to do.   
"Dad....." Adrien went and hugged him, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

  
_Gabriel is Hawkmoth._   
_Dad is Hawkmoth....._

  
"Thank you for showing me" He said.   
"No worries my boy" Gabriel rubbed Adriens back, "I'm sure this is overwhelming. But you might want to let go of me, I'm not wearing a shirt"   
Adrien giggled. "I don't think I care"   
Gabriel was wearing long sweat pants but that was it.   
"I'll put on a shirt. In the meantime...." He turned to his kwami.   
"This is Nooroo"   
"Ah. Hello Nooroo, it's so nice to meet you" Adrien said as he turned to the small purple kwami.   
Nooroo smiled softly at him, "You too Adrien. You're a sweet boy, I knew that when I gave magic to you, that you would grow up with a good soul"   
Adrien all but smiled, feeling a bit shy.   
Gabriel came back from his walk in closet with a short sleeved shirt on, "Adrien"   
Adrien turned to his Father and nodded, "Bed"

  
Adrien climbed in first, "Aaaah, this bed is better than mine!"   
Gabriel smirked at him.   
"But it needs a doona"   
"I'll get one from the closet" Gabriel went inside his walk in closet and came back with a huge doona, throwing it on the bed he laid it out nicely before going in next.   
"Ah, you're right. It needed one" Gabriel could feel the difference. He took off his glasses and put them away.   
They both made themselves comfortable.   
It seemed that Gabriel liked to sleep on his side while Adrien laid flat on his back.   
Their two kwamis settled down on the back of the bed, and settled down to sleep.   
"Comfortable?" Gabriel asked.   
"Not yet" Adrien decided to roll to his Dad's side, facing him. "That's better"   
Before, Gabriel felt a little unsettled, but when Adrien rolled up to him, he felt a bit safer, more content.   
"You feel better?" Adrien asked him.   
"Why?"   
"I'd like to know if you're comfortable"   
Gabriel sighed uneasily, "You're just going to ease in my comfort zone aren't you?"   
Adrien frowned, "I just want to be there for you. You don't have anybody to lean on, to cry. I've been in my room long enough to know that"   
Gabriel's eyes were soft.   
"Are you a cuddler?"  
Gabriel grunted, "I wish I wasn't"   
"It ain't so bad, I am one"   
Usually, he would have Emilie in his arms like this, cuddling each other till the morning. Maybe ....just for a bit ...   
Gabriel wrapped his arms around his son and suddnely, he felt completely safe.   
Exhaling, he felt Adrien rest in his arms.   
"Goodnight son"   
"Goodnight Dad"   
"I love you"   
He felt Adrien smile, "I love you too Dad"

 _"Goodnight Emilie"_  

 

 

 


	13. Day 18 - Father's Day

Gabriel woke up with a pillow in his arms when he expected his son. Blinking, he let go of the pillow. Weird.   
He grabbed his glasses, put them on and looked around.

_Where's Adrien?_

He looked down to the edge of the bed and Nooroo and Plagg were gone.

_Should I be worried?_

Then the door suddenly opened softly with careful fingers, and came in with a tray that contained his breakfast.   
"Oh, that's where you've been" Gabriel said.   
"Good morning Dad, you're up at a good time for breakfast"   
Gabriel's eyes widened at the plate of bacon, eggs and toast his son made. "Wow.....it smells good"   
"I'm glad" Adrien said, "The Dupain-Cheng Bakery taught me"

  
Their two kwami came in as Adrien set down the tray next to his Dad.   
"He needed some help collecting the ingredients" Nooroo said.   
"Er. Well, yes I did" Adrien admitted, "But I did it"   
"Have you had breakfast yet?" Gabriel asked him.   
"Well.....I had a banana"   
"Go and make yourself something while I eat this lovely breakfast you've made for me" Gabriel said as Adrien put the tray on his bed.   
"Okay" Adrien nodded and walked out of the door.   
Gabriel then looked at his delicious looking breakfast.

  
"How nice of him....."   
"He's become such a sweet boy, you raised him, you should be proud of that" Nooroo said.   
Gabriel felt a great warmth and love in his heart as he ate his specially made breakfast.   
He couldn't believe that Adrien still went through his Father's Day plans even after he found out that he's Hawkmoth.   
_He has such a good heart......_

  
By the time he was finished with his breakfast and drank his orange juice, Adrien came back with a few gifts behind his back.   
"Was breakfast good?" Adrien asked.   
"It was delicious, thank you"   
"I'm glad. Erm, well....." Adrien approached him and brought out his two gift wrapped presents. "These are for you"   
Gabriels eyes widened in suprise, "For me...?"   
"Uh huh" Adrien nodded before Gabriel received them with his two hands.

  
Carefully, he opened the gift wrap off the smaller package, inside was a mini casette player, nothing like his retro one that needed batteries and included a radio, this one was modern, could charge and also had a USB insertion on the side if he ever wanted to convert his songs into MP3 files.   
"You found my old broken player didn't you? I'm surprised that companies still make these!" Gabriel said in surprise.   
"They still do, and if it breaks, you can get it repaired"   
"This is very thoughtful of you Adrien, I never thought I'd be able to listen to my old tracks again. It's a good thing that I kept them"   
"No worries Dad"   
"Now I think I know what this is" Gabriel chuckled as he started taking the wrapping off the second present. "Have you been sneaking around my phone?"   
"I......may have been" Adrien confessed.   
When the wrapping was off, Gabriel instantly smirked, "You figured out my favourite albums!"  
"I had Nino help me find some good retro music shops"   
"Wow. I should get out more" he realised.   
"I'm glad you like your gifts"   
"I love them, and breakfast" Gabriel put his presents down and put his hand over Adrien's, grasping it a bit, "This is really nice. Thank you"  
Adrien smiled gratefully, "And thank you"   
"For what?"   
"For being my Dad again"   
Gabriel felt a little bad but that went away easily in seconds, "I've been gone too long" he admitted, "It's time that we should do more as a family"   
"I'd like nothing more" Adrien replied.  
Gabriel pushed his tray aside so Adrien can sit next to him, his head rested against his Dad, and he found himself being softly stroked by Gabriel's hand.   
"We have all morning. What would you like to do?" Gabriel asked.   
"It's your day, what do you want to do?"   
Gabriel hummed in thought, "Well, if I remember right, I do want to see Paris more......but I think you would know the best fun places"   
Adrien's eyes lit up, "Actually.....I do"

  
"Please, could you take your old man down the good streets of Paris?"   
"I would love to!"   
"But......I'd like to jump the ceilings with you for travel instead"   
"But the people know you're Hawkmoth"   
"Not if I change my look" Gabriel grinned.   
"Then......let's do it!" Adrien jumped up from the bed.   
"Oh no....." Plagg shook his head before he was sucked into the ring, "I haven't had my cheese yeeeet!"   
Gabriel felt some pride for his son as he watched him transform, but he went into the walk in closet to change into some proper clothes before transforming.   
Coming out, Gabriel revealed his old suit.   
His face was no longer covered so his hair stuck out but it was a little ruffled, his suit blazer was extended to a low tail, his glasses were gone but the tail end had a tint of white , and his gloves and weapon was still there. Other than that, he looked cleaner and his face was more refined.   
It took Chat's breath away, "You look......"  
"I look dashing don't I?" Gabriel joked.   
"Were like two peas in a pod. Ladybug is going to think that you're my older brother or something"   
Gabriel barked a laugh, "Get outta here!"   
"How should I address you?" Chat asked.   
"Erm, use my old name. Pappilion, yes, use that name"   
"The butterfly huh, perfect. Now, shall we depart?"   
"We shall"   
Pappilion guestered his hand to the window and Chat jumped out, his Father following after him.

  
Gabriel immediately had a rush of happy adrenaline through his blood and for the first time in a very long time, he was filled with nothing but love as he jumped around with his son. His mind was on the present and not on Emilie or his mistakes.   
He followed Chat Noir to the Eiffel towers highest viewing level, once they landed, he had to catch his breath.   
"You okay?" Chat asked him.   
"Yeah, just pay in mind that I used most of my time controlling akuma's from a butterfly room and not jumping around for the past year so I'm a bit out of practise"   
"Take a break, we can sightsee from here" Chat said before he leaned from the rail to take a look at the side view of the city.   
Pappilion took a moment to himself to rest before he could join his son.

  
"So, were there are any times when you went out?" Chat asked.   
"Well ......when the job got stressful after a certain period of time, I would go to an onsen to rest my mind and body and it helps, every single time"   
"What's an onsen?"   
"A Japanese hot springs, but the thing is that you can't wear anything in there"   
"You go in naked?!" Chat asked, surprised.   
"Yup, but I take private spaces to avoid being seen by the public"   
"Aaaah"   
"Chat Noir, we only have about three hours before we have to get to your photoshoot" Pappillon reminded him.   
"What about the journalists? If they find us in public in our civilian forms....?"   
"Don't worry about those, besides, with me hanging out with you, people will think it's kinda cute or something or, give out some kind of Father's day vibe"   
"Out of all of the times you scolded me for being on the tabloids......"  
"What I did was to remind you not to misbehave, I'm sorry if I caused some negative emotions"   
"Oh. I get it now, then......I don't know, I didn't like them but I forgive you I guess?"   
Pappilion frowned at the concern, "Adrien, I have had my fair share of bad tabloids"   
"Okay, what kind?" Chat asked, he was suddenly curious.   
"Just some behaviour around your Mother" Pappilion rolled his eyes, "Nothing serious"   
"Ergh, really?"   
Pappilion sniggered, "They were terrible"   
"Well, we all make mistakes" Chat turned to the city below them, "Why don't we head to the arcade?"   
Gabriel liked that idea, "I haven't been to one in twenty years!"   
"Then come on! It's the best place to start! I know the best and biggest place we can go to!"   
"Then lead the way"   
Pappilion leaped after his son and they ran until Chat halted, he stopped behind him, "Let's jump in this narrow alley, it's not far off" Chat said and he nodded to him, they jumped down and de-transformed, as their kwami appeared, they let them settle in their hiding places.   
That's when Adrien noticed the difference in his Father's appearance. His hair was smoothed down instead of pointed up, he changed his big round glasses to clear more rectangular ones that revealed more of his eyes. He wore a black long sleeved shirt and grey waistcoat with his normal red pants while his scarf that hid hid miraculous still laid tied around his neck.   
Overall, he looked much more relaxed.  
"You look great Pa" Adrien commented.   
"Thank you Adrien. Now let's get out of this dusty narrow aisle before we get dirty. I still care about our appearance"

  
They shuffled out of the aisle without question and Adrien pushed his shirt down.   
Gabriel took a breath, "Ah, good french air"   
"Indeed. The arcade is this way"   
"Shall we?" Gabriel lent his hand, and Adrien took it, "We shall"   
Adrien felt his Father's hand in his, and it was incredibly soft and gentle, as if Gabriel really cared about him. He felt as if there was a warm link between Gabriel and himself and he loved it.  
Leading his Dad, they approached the arcade arena and went inside. At the front entrance, Gabriel stopped to take it in.   
The sounds, the machines all came into view.  
"Whoa, this is different....."   
"Come inside"   
As expected, when they walked in, they attracted a few stares, but they ignored them as Adrien was interested in what his Father may like. 

  
They stopped upon a game that had a huge screen plastered along the wall and had a few buttons to play space invaders on the screen.   
Adrien watched his Father's eyes widen in surprise.   
"They maximised space invaders?" He said.   
"Are you familiar with this game?"   
"Yes. But back in my day, the screen was so much smaller.....how do you play?"   
"We have to get you an arcade card at the kiosk register to put money on so you can play"   
"Interesting.....but why a card?"   
"If you were to play a video game that saves progress, you can do it on a card including score results"   
"That's very handy"   
They went to the kiosk where Gabriel got his card, he was going to get one for Adrien but he already had one. After putting some money on it, Adrien explained the prize shop where you can exchange points you gained from gained for prizes, it was very different yet new and amazing.   
He went to the space invaders to start with something familiar.  
"Go ahead, swipe your card in the card slot to play" Adrien said.   
Ugh. Gabriel was always skeptical about cards and the swiping motion, they gave him a terrifying deja vu, falling debris, and corpses-   
He swiped the card despite the feelings it gave him, feeling victorious that he could move past it, he started playing.   
Adrien knew that he was a really good gamer besides Marinette, his Mum was good at it too, but it seemed that Dad was a pro at it like himself.   
"Whoa....." He watched as a few other fans were filming him from their phones.  
Once he reached level three, he let Adrien take over and guide him through and in no time, he got it.   
Once the level five screen came up, they decided to stop there.   
"That was really cool! When did you ever had the time to learn?" Adrien asked.   
"I would play a few games if I had the time, but I think it was when I was a teenager when I played. What kind of games do you particularly like?"   
"Ultra mega strike, but I also play racing games" he caught sight of one, "Oh! This one, Mario Kart!" He ran over to it, "Wanna play one on one?"    
"Well I can't say no to a challenge"   
Adrien gave him a challenging look and sat down into the makeshift racing chair.   
Gabriel got on the chair next to him and went throughout the the instructions first before swiping his card.   
The game only had two pedals, which he found himself comfortable with but when they started playing, immedietly they were having fun pushing each other around and having their own banter.   
Next was the laser tag.  
Neither of them used guns or anything in their transformations but they both showed off their skills from being Chat Noir and Hawkmoth.   
In the end they had a tickle fight, and Adrien subdued weakly to his Father's fingers.   
"Oh! Chat Noir has been defeated by the mighty tickles!" Adrien laughed so hard he thought he was going to lose his voice.  
  
"That was so much fun!" Adrien beamed, "We should do this again!"   
Gabriel laughed heartily, "Well we better make a move....." He checked his watch, "Because your photoshoot is in an hour, want to make a quick stop for lunch?"   
"Sure!"   
They found a cafe close by where they were and went inside.   
"Sit at the table over there" Gabriel pointed at a table un the corner. "I'll get us something. What would you like?"   
"The avacado and chicken roll thanks, and some orange juice?"   
"I'll get it"   
"Then I'll get that table" Adrien went over to the table and sat down.   
Relaxing, Adrien let himself take in the cafes surroundings and look at the people around him.   
And right in front of him a certain distance away was a blonde woman with her hair down, reading the newspaper. 

  
_It's Emilie._   
_Oh shit, it's her!!!_

  
He felt the hairs on his arms rise.   
He took a breath and tried to relax.   
She was a considerable distance away so the first thing to do is to warn her that Gabriel's here. The last thing we wanted was to ruin Father's Day, because there was no telling what drama would happen.   
She was looking down at her newspaper and he didn't know how to warn her.   
"Plagg" he whispered to his pocket.   
"I'm sleeping" the kwami replied.   
"Plagg, I need you to go down to that blonde woman over there and try and get her eyes off her newspaper"   
"You mean make people think I'm a rat" Plagg assumed.   
"No...."   
Before he could continue, Gabriel came over, placing a stand that contained their table number.   
"I have gotten our food, we have to wait a bit"   
"Oh, sure"   
"Give me a moment, I'm going to the restroom"   
"Okay. I'll be right here" 

  
With a smile, Adrien watched as his Dad walk to the restroom and as soon as that door shut, he stood from his chair and walked over to Emilie quickly.   
"Psst!" He whispered to her and Emilie lowered her newspaper, before covering her mouth as she gasped.   
"Adrien!"   
"You better get out of here Mom, Dad is here!" He whispered.   
Emilie lowered her hands in realization, "Oh. Shit"   
"I know. It's Father's day, you better go before he sees you!"   
Confused, but she knew what to do, she got up and hurried out of the cafe as Adrien went back to his table.   
Sighing, Gabriel came out of the restroom so he got her out just in time. Right now, he had to focus on lunch, Mum can come later.   
His Dad sat down in the chair in front of him and relaxed. "The arcade was so much fun, I can't believe how technology has improved"   
"It makes you look forward to what people come up with in the future doesn't it?"   
"Indeed. Thank you for showing me such a great place"   
"It's my pleasure" 

  
Gabriel hummed, "I must ask, why on earth you do so many puns all the time? I never suspected that you were Chat Noir, you seemed so different"   
"Well, as Chat, I could do things that I couldn't do, and I didn't have any of your expectations" Adrien explained.   
"Oh"   
"As Chat Noir, I can get out of the house, make friends, and do anything I want. You wouldn't let me do things freely and I hated being shut inside all the time so being in the suit was freedom"   
Gabriel frowned, "I'm awfully sorry about that"   
"Naah, it's okay now. Better than okay actually"   
Gabriel's spirits rose up again. "I'm glad"   
A waiter came over and delivered their lunch.   
"Your salad Mr Agreste, and your roll, coffee and orange juice" the man placed down everything carefully.   
"Thank you" Gabriel replied and they started tucking in.   
"Do you have questions for me?" Gabriel asked before stabbing a tomato with his fork and eating it.  
"I do. Where is your lair?"  
"Pffft, no lair, I did it all in the butterfly garden"   
"Oh. You never told me about that place"  
"Your Mother built it, she loves butterflies. It stands just below my office"   
"How nice"   
"Now I admit.....I will have to stock up on cheese"   
Adrien felt Plagg twitch in his pocket.

"But that kwami is only going to have two wheels a day, and that's going to be my rules"   
Adrien smirked when he felt a squawk.   
"I've been trying to get him off cheese for ages now"   
"That's my boy"   
Adrien laughed before he took another bite into his roll.   
"I'm glad you're being so honest and open with me" Adrien said honestly.   
"Well, it's thanks to you. You advise me well through the suit, I have to admit, I do regret some things"   
"Like what......?" Adrien wondered what he could have been plotting behind him.   
"Remember that tasty bottle of water?"   
"Yes I do. Wait- that wasn't a bottle of water wasn't it?"   
Gabriel shook his head sheepishly, "Vodka"   
"You mean to tell me that I drank a whole litre of alcohol?!"   
"Sorry about that"   
"Ergh! Dad! Seriously?!"   
"I didn't know that your suit absorbed the whole lot, I wanted you to start talking in a drunken state. Though, I assume that you would have babbled more about Ladybug than anything else"   
"That wasn't all, you teased me! And worse, I saw a buldge!"   
Gabriel choaked on a piece of lettuce.   
"That wasn't my fault" Gabriel croaked as he got a hold of himself.   
"Yeah. I admit that part wasn't on purpose"   
"Sorry you had to see that......and the condoms" he remembered.   
"It wasn't opened so I couldn't determine anything"   
"I haven't touched it"   
"Thank god. Wait......then what did you do with...."  
"Pills"   
"Pills? Why?"   
Gabriel sighed, "You see.....well, how can I put this gently...."  
There was a moment before he blushed, "I can't have releif......"   
"You can't do it without her around?"   
"No" Gabriel admitted.   
"You don't have anybody to help you?"   
"God no! That's absurd! Adrien.....you sound like you don't need the talk"  
"Good"   
Gabriel sighed.   
"But I'm not active yet"   
"Thank goodness. Do you know how to do it?"   
"No. You banned porn sites on all my devices, at this rate you're going to have to show me how"   
"Ughhhhh......"   
The situation backflipped.   
"Eat the rest of your lunch, we have got to get going" He changed the subject and Adrien grinned at him, "Yes Father"   
  
Once they left the cafe, they made for their next destination.   
"Dad?"   
"Yes?"   
"You know the funniest yet embarassed question I asked when I had my first day at school?"   
"No, what?"   
"What's a period?"   
Gabriel burst out laughing.   
"It wasn't funny at the time!!"   
Gabriel was coughing, he couldn't contain his laughter.   
"Nino gave me this really odd look like I was mental"   
"I should give him more credit then!"   
"Shut up" Adrien pouted.   
  
They got to Adrien's photoshoot in time and it was a success, Gabriel found it nice to at least see his son in action as he did his job. On the side  he got to give the assistant workers some advice.  
"Pardon me, but I would like Adrien change into his normal clothes, I would like a picture portrait with him" he asked the head photographer.   
"Of course Mr Agreste"   
As Adrien changed into his normal clothes by the orders of the head photographer, he was confused to why he was going to model like this.  
Until his own Father came over to join him.   
"Dad?" Adrien questioned why he came over to join him.   
"I asked for a family photo, to replace the horrid one in the main hall"   
"Really?!" Adrien gasped happily.   
"Of course, let's sit down together, what's your favourite position?"   
"Erm, I like sitting on your lap.....or....just sitting next to you is more than enough"   
"We can do different positions and then decide on one at the end of the day" Gabriel suggested.   
"Yeah!" Adrien agreed.   
Gabriel sat down next to his son and it was a perfectly beautiful day, so for this photoshoot, they got to move around, hugging each other, Adrien sitting in his Father's lap, and just doing some different positions. It was heaps of fun, Adrien couldn't wait for the photos to come.   
And the staff couldn't help but have a few giggles as they were so cute with each other.   
After the shoot, Gabriel talked to the head to make sure that the photos will arrive to him by the night before they all packed up.   
"Dad, I have a question" Adrien spoke up as Gabriel took a drink of water.   
"Yes?"   
"If you ever could, would you ever have a second child?"   
Gabriel was a little taken aback. "Oh, I never thought of it......." He eyed Adrien carefully, "Do you want a sibling?"   
"Ah, I assumed that like many families, the bigger it is, the happier. But I like it when it's just us, cause we're more than happy together"   
"I never thought of having another because having just one took a lot of work. We were blessed with you. If magic didn't work we would have had a surrogate but your Mother really wanted to properly carry you"   
"It makes it the more special"   
"Yeah" Gabriel said softly, "It does. We lost three special babies before you, it was a terrifying experience to lose precious little souls" he shook his head, not wanting to remember. "But if things came out better, you would have a sibling"   
Adrien hummed.   
"You know what Dad?"  
"What?"   
"One day, if I get married, I'll give you plenty of grandchildren"   
Gabriel smiled straight away, "You better"   
"Ha!" Adrien laughed. "If I have a good sex drive"   
Gabriel laughed heartily and clapped Adrien on the shoulder. "Let's get out of here, scruffy" he said.   
"I'm not scruffy!"   
"You should see your bed head then. It's adorable" Gabriel made a face of awe.   
"I'm not cute" Adrien pouted, "I'm claw-some!"  
Gabriel messed up his hair and laughed, "Hey!" Adrien barked as he tried to re-arrange his hair and chased his Dad out of the photoshoot tent.   
They ran out of the photoshoot and ended in the nearest park, he noticed that his Dad went sneaking behind a tree, Adrien creeped up to him when Pappilion came up from behind, "Boo!"   
Adrien yelped and called on his transformation, jumping on Pappilion for a little play fight.   
Pappilion playfully growled and threw his son off, and as the cat landed on his feet, he jumped onto the rooftops to play chase.   
"Catch me if you can!" Pappilion called out playfully and Chat growled, jumping after him.   
  
Ladybug could hear the laughing and giggling of Chat Noir, what is he doing? She smiled to herself by the Eiffel tower, but then she heard another voice. An older, deeper voice.   
 _Who on earth is that......?_  
In the distance she could see two individuals, one is Chat Noir and the other......  
 _Looks a bit like Hawkmoth....._  
As they got closer and closer, the next thing she realised was Hawkmoth landing on the surface of the rail she was on and Chat pounced on him like a cat, playfully wrestling with him.   
She watched them laugh and giggle which was, she admitted, the rarest sight she'll ever see, and just stood there wondering what on earth is going on.   
"Afternoon m'lady!" Chat breathed out, and Hawkmoth gave him a look of surprise.  
"The missus is here?"  
"Missus?" She asked.  
"Chat Noir, get up properly and greet the lady first" Hawkmoth said and Chat did just that, greeting her with a kiss to the palm before Hawkmoth ruffled up his hair.   
"Heeeey!"   
Ladybug was really confused now, this seemed to be Hawkmoth, but he wore no head mask.   
"Who are you?" She asked, looking to Chat for an explanation.   
"This, m'lady, is Hawkmoth without the mask"   
"Hawkmoth?!" She squeaked, she didn't know what to do, act? Attack? Something?!   
"I am also known as Pappilion" the man added.   
"Butterfly?" She pointed out.   
"Yup, and this......" He turned to Chat, "Is my adorable yet handsome only son, Chat Noir, who you should really date by the way"   
Ladybug rolled her eyes before she froze on the spot.   
"Oh my god Chat.....he really is your Father?"   
"You should be thanking him, he came up with the bouquet idea to impress you"   
Ladybug didn't know what to say, the fact was really hard to get into her mind.   
"Erm, nice to meet you?" She said as she lent her hand, expecting him to shake it, but he kissed it instead.   
"Ah, now I see where Chat got that from" she laughed softly.   
"I sorely apologise for the entire mess I made" he said honestly.   
"Well......if you're willing to make up for it....."   
"I will serve you for the rest of my life if I have to" he said straight.   
"Erm, that's a surprising offer, I'm glad you're willing to make up for your mistakes but I think that's for our guardian to decide"   
"Guardian? My wife and I have looked for him for ages, before she dissappeared, we wanted to give Nooroo and Duusuu back to their rightful owners"  
"There's another one?" Chat asked.  
"It's your Mother's" Pappilion explained.   
"Then we should start by seeing Master Fu" she concluded, "That's a releif, you have the peacock!"   
"Dad, did Mum look beautiful as a peacock?"   
"Stunning. Compared to this young lady"  
Ladybug blushed.   
"I'm supposed to be the one wooing her" Chat pouted.  
"But I can see why you talk about her so much every time I mention her"  
Chat blushed and gave Ladybug a pointed look, "I do not"   
"He does" Pappilion laughed.   
"Do not"   
"Do toooo"   
"Do not!"   
"Do too"   
"Do not"  
"Do too"   
Ladybug turned to the Father to the son, watching them bicker.   
"Do not!!"   
"Do not"   
"Do too!" Chat yelled and caught himself, "Darn you!"   
Ladybug gave off this cute laugh, that stopped them for a bit, as they watched her, Pappilion gave his son a look of _"she's cute...."_    
The man watched Chat blush and he wiggled his eyebrows, only to be pushed away by his son.   
"You guys are so cute" she said. "You get along so well, what happened to make you terrorise Paris Pappilion?"   
"My wife left me. And I acted out in frustration like the biggest idiot on earth" he explained. "I wanted to reverse time to bring her back"   
"He's been acting out of love" Chat added.   
"Oh......so in reality, you were just trying to do the right thing for your wife" she realised.   
"Yeah.....I have no excuse"   
"You do realise what you did right?"   
She watched as Pappilion's face lowered in shame. "Yes" 

  
"Do you have anything at all to support yourself whether you see Master Fu? Anything at all that you have done good with the butterfly miraculous?"   
Pappilion lowered his eyes to his staff and started swiping, "I do. One in particular that I suggest is strongest"   
"Send it to me and I'll take a look at it later"   
"Thank you, I'll do that" Pappilion went through a few things and Ladybug received a package.   
"Thank you. If there's anything that Chat sees in his Father, I will find to support you in any way"   
"Ladybug.....why are you doing this all of a sudden?"   
"Well, out of all the stupid puns, Chat has told me once that his Mother is missing. For how long we don't know but we don't want to turn him into an orphan. He doesn't deserve that and neither do you"  
"I'm glad you see it that way"   
"Well, I'm far off my break, I must be getting home, my Father will be waiting for me"   
"Go along bug, I get it"   
"We will play nice" Pappilion said.  
"Sure, and......it's nice to formally meet you Pappilion" she said, with a quiet nod from him, she left.   
Chat sighed in releif, "I'm so glad that she didn't arrest you or anything. I'm surprised that you even did some good acts in the suit. What did you give her?"   
"That's.....a story for another day. One I'm not quite ready to share"   
"Oh" Chat wondered what it could be, "Okay"   
"Now. What are you hungry for?"  
Chat's mood changed to food.   
  
Dinner was a success. They went to a seafood restraunt where they decided to cheat their diet by having lobster, crab, chips, salad and prawns. So basically, they stuffed their stomachs until they couldn't eat anymore, when they got home, they both slumped into bed together, exhausted.   
"Oh my stomach....." Adrien groaned.   
"Wait" Gabriel stopped and all of a sudden a loud burp echoed throughout the room. It stunk of lobster.   
"Ohhhh god that's awful!!" Adrien got a pillow to try and get the stench away but Gabriel laughed.   
"It's quite refreshing actually" Plagg said, sighing as he inhaled the salty scent.   
"Plagg!!" Nooroo gasped and wheezed as the air was infected with the god awful smell.   
"When do you ever burp that loudly?!" Adrien squealed as the pillow was doing little effect.   
"Do you want it to go the other way?" Gabriel laughed.   
"NO!!!" Adrien and Nooroo yelled.   
Adrien grabbed the blanket and waved it to get a better effect as Nooroo opened the window to let the air out.   
It was five minutes until every trace of lobster stench was gone.   
"Thank god" Adrien breathed.   
Nooroo shut the window and sighed.   
Adrien just dropped to the bed, "Feel better?"   
"Yeah. Tired though, it's been a wonderful day, thanks to you"   
Adrien smiled, "My pleasure. It's what I wanted too. A day with just the two of us"   
Adrien relaxed into ghe bed and Gabriel smiled at him.   
Soon, he noticed that his son was asleep.   
Sighing, it was getting pretty late, so he got up, got changed into his sweatpants and came back to his son.   
"Adrien" he said softly and Adrien mumbled.   
He put his hands under his arms and lifted him up, removing his jacket and shirt before taking off his shoes and socks.   
He got him some sweatpants for Adrien out of his closet and took off Adrien's pants, after putting his clothes away, he put the sweatpants on him and tied the top up so it wasn't loose.   
He got into bed and picked Adrien up to position his head on his lap and pulled the covers over him.   
Smiling, he trailed his fingers down his hair and felt the soft strands, before stroking him gently.   
It was nice to be with him like this, now that he strokes him, he remembered that Emilie once told him that Adrien, as a toddler, knew who his Father was, when he was a small baby, he used to try and reach out for his Father. 

  
Sadly, he didn't know how to hold him. 

  
It seemed that.....Adrien had always wanted to be held by his Father.   
By the time he was ten years old he knew that the boy gave up, that he wasn't going to get that sort of affection......that love.   
Feeling guilty, he put an arm around his son and lifted him up so he was in a position right next to his chest. Holding him, he could immedietely feel a connection. He isn't a child anymore but he didn't care.   
Suddenly, Adrien's eyes fluttered awake.   
"Dad....?" He spoke, "Where...."   
Gabriel just smiled.   
His son took in his surroundings and his eyes went wide in surprise. Slowly, he could see the tears rise.   
"Are you alright?" He asked.   
"I'm okay I'm-" he sniffed. "There were some days when I thought that you would never want to get close to me at all...."   
"I'm sorry I took so long"   
"No. I'm glad I'm here now" he smiled, and put an arm around his Dad, snuggling up close.   
Adrien wiped his eyes a bit.  
"Hey Dad?"   
"Yeah?"   
Adrien lifted his hand and put it into a fist, "Here. Pound it"   
"For what?"  
"It's an expression. You did it, and Mum would be really proud"   
"Oh" Gabriel was touched, but he was right, he got to know his son. And he became a better person doing it, and now he has a close friend. 

  
"Pound it"

  
Their knuckles clacked together.

 


	14. Day 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning has a mature warning, beware! 
> 
> Also, I just watched Sandboy, geez, Gabriel has steeped so low......I feel so bad for him.  
> And I screamed when I saw creepy Adrien, it freaked me the heck out, seriously.

Gabriel was abruptly awoken by Adrien by feeling a quick tapping that felt panicked. Once he opened his eyes, he caught sight of his son, hunched over, looking confused and scared as he tried to balance his breathing. 

Alarmed, he sat up, "What's the matter?"  
"I woke up with an erection, it felt uncomfortable and then it started to feel uneasy yet nice- it won't go away and I'm scared I don't know what to do-"  
"Whoa Adrien. First you have to breathe, is your body having urges?"  
Adrien nodded rapidly, "I felt the need to crouch over"  
Gabriel went right into it. He twisted his body to move to his nearest drawers to get some lube and a box of tissues while Adrien maintained a steady inhale and exhale.  
Gabriel lifted his legs up so his feet were placed on the surface of the bed and let Adrien up so he could hold onto him.  
"Do you feel comfortable with me checking....?"  
"Just help me" Adrien ground out.  
"Tell me if it hurts" Gabriel said softly before untying his pants and pulling them down.

His eyes went wide as saucers.  
"What?" Adrien breathed.  
"You have my genetics"  
"Shut up"  
Gabriel smiled as he checked, "You're going to be fine. Give me your open hand"  
Adrien lifted up his left hand and Gabriel squirted some lube on it.  
"Ergh, sticky.....but it seems nice" he moved his fingers in it.  
"Put it on. Try it"  
With a bit of hesitation, once he applied it, Gabriel heard a releived groan from his son's mouth.  
"There you go, stroke it a bit and you'll get the hang of it. If you need someone to hold onto, I'm here"  
He got into it right away, quick learner. But it didn't take long.  
"Dad.....I think....." He squeaked and Gabriel pulled out a couple of tissues, just in time to catch the first few squirts of his sons ejacuation, thus evading him making a mess on the bed.  
Adrien bucked up, which was normal and his body shook as he shouted in surprise, before taking a breath and sighing.  
As he relaxed, Adrien just dropped.  
"Oh god....."  
"Are you alright?" Gabriel asked as he cleaned him up.  
"I feel so much better. Sorry I panicked"  
"It's okay. It's alright for a first time. Now that you know what to do, next time you'll be okay and more controlled"  
"Yeah. Thank you"  
"No worries. I don't want you to be scared" he put the rubbish in the bedside bin. "Other than that, you're becoming a grown man now"  
Adrien grinned, "Well, that's a positive"  
"But look out, my side of the family do have a thing for their eyesight losing focus around your age. So if there seems to be anything wrong, tell me okay?"  
"Oh.....okay" Adrien looked a bit down about that but he got up again. He got up, and Gabriel stopped him from pulling his pants up, "No. No. You are not wearing my pants with lube all over you. You, are taking a bath"  
Gabriel, without warning, playfully hauled his son up. As Adrien squealed, his pants slipped off and he dragged him into the bathroom.  
"You're putting me into your bathtub?!" Adrien squirmed.  
"Nope. The spa"  
"Spa?!"  
"You're a growing boy, I don't want you to get stretched skin from growing. That will ruin your figure and ugh. I need to teach you about deodorant"  
Plagg chuckled from the distance.  
"And Nooroo! You're in charge of Plagg's diet!" Gabriel called out, his voice echoing through the bathroom doors.   
Plagg scowled.  
"You're being bossy Dad again, but it's a good bossy" Adrien chuckled as he was put down and Gabriel started up the spa.  
Gabriel was glad, he smiled, knowing that he's being a good Father.  
"Want a bath bomb?"  
"You have bath bombs?"  
"I just bought them the other day"  
"You mean Natalie bought them"  
"Er, she did. I was doing work, or either spending time with you" he went to one of the cabinets and pulled out a few to show him.  
"Take your pick"  
Adrien took a look at them, "Lavender"  
Gabriel instantly smiled and put the others away.  
"What?" Adrien asked.  
"Lavender is your Mother's favourite"  
"Oh. Really?"  
"Yeah, it's been a year and I still remember everything about her" Gabriel shut the cabinet and came back with the bomb.  
"The spa is ready" Gabriel confirmed, "Hop in"  
Adrien made his way into the spa, sighing at every inch of his skin hitting the warm heavenly water. Once he sat down, he looked like he was back in his Mother's womb.  
"So niiiiiceeee......"  
"Want to put in the bomb?" Gabriel was grinning at his sons satisfied face.  
"Yeah!" Adrien received the bomb and put it in the middle of the spa. Instantly the bomb start fizzing.  
"I made sure to take the plastic wrapping off it. Emilie once forgot and the whole thing exploded because the fizz had nowhere to go. It was quite dramatic"  
Adrien giggled as he imagined the entire incident.  
While Adrien was distracted, Gabriel discarded his sweatpants and came in the spa, claiming his own spot. The warm water got him to stretch his body and yawn.

Ladybug went straight to Master Fu's place, she thought that it would be better to take a look through the package Papillion gave her with him.

"Good morning Ladybug" Master Fu greeted her.  
"Good morning master. I have come with good news" Fu was listening, "I have come in good contact with Pappilion"  
"Butterfly?"  
She caught herself, "Oh, Hawkmoth. He introduced himself as Pappilion, his proper name"  
"I hope he wasn't rough with you"  
"Oh no, not at all, he's a gentlemen, like Chat"  
"So he is the Father of our cat" Fu confirmed.  
"That's troubling....." Wayzz commented.  
"If you'd like to know how nice he is, he pecked a kiss on my hand. I must admit I was surprised, and he was very kind to me"  
"I hope he understands what he did"  
"He does" she gave a quick sigh, "He looked like he was ready to hand himself in, but we can't do that"  
"No. I'm afraid he can't" Fu shook his head, "I know who he is, he lost his wife correct?"  
"He did"  
"Then it doesn't matter what happened then, it's what he has done that matters. How is he going to contribute to his actions?"  
"Well, he offered that he would do service for the rest of his life but, I asked him whether if he had done anything good with the butterfly"  
"Has he?"  
"He gave me a package"  
"Let us take a look then"  
Ladybug sat down next to Fu before she flipped out her yoyo and opened the package.  
Instantly the package showed a hologram like feature, displaying everything it had inside.  
Taking in the images, Fu gasped.  
"Do you know these?"  
Ladybug took in what seemed to be an evacuation, but partly involving, smoke, dust, debris and God....so many dead people.....  
Her face went white.  
"Fu......tell me what these are" she whispered.  
"These images must contain the terrorist attack of the world trade center over seventeen years ago. It seems that he was a survivor" Fu explained before he went through more photos, he found some of him saving people. His kwami must have recorded the whole thing.  
".....And a hero"  
"When was this?"  
"Eleventh of the ninth, two thousand and one. People call it nine eleven"  
Ladybug gulped, going through the videos, she caught sight of two high towers, one was on fire at the near top. Smoke was pouring out, people were screaming, and it got worse when she saw a plane dove straight into the second building.  
"Two towers.......how many people?"  
"Over three thousand. Hundreds couldn't get out because they were trapped, some jumped, the lower levels got evacuated, people who stayed died and the ones who were lucky enough, got out"  
"So Pappilion was there.....in one of the buildings.....helping survivors?" She asked.  
"I assume so. The buildings did collapse, so you couldn't help everyone. But it seems to me that he akumatised people to help others get down. I know that the staircase was intact in the north tower and the other was knocked down so people above the crash site couldn't get down, because of the smoke you wouldn't be able to see anything"  
"He wouldn't be able to help that way" she assumed. "But what he did is incredibly brave"  
"It explains his preferred suit. When there is terror, there is also a bit of hope involved that's so much stronger. Like Ying and Yang" 

They looked at the photos some more.  
"Ladybug, I must leave at once to speak with him"  
"Now? You know where he lives?" She asked.  
"Yes. Thank you for bringing me this information"  
"No problem master. Is there anything I can do in the meantime?"  
Fu hummed in thought for a bit, "Try and find someone with good journalism, maybe that ladyblog girl. We need to plan how to to make our step in announcing Hawkmoth's defeat"  
"I can do that Master"  
"Then I wish you luck in your progress"

"It's Sunday, and I feel like relaxing" Gabriel said as he got a towel and started drying himself off.  
"Me too" Adrien got out of the spa feeling refreshed, "Unless if Ladybug has contacted Master Fu by now and he'll want to speak to you"  
Gabriel handed Adrien a fresh towel, "Well, I will have to eventually"  
They took their time drying themselves before Gabriel pressed a nearby intercom to get Adrien some fresh clean clothes.  
After Natalie passed Adrien his clothes through the door, he pass on the clotyes before teaching Adrien about deodorant before leaving him to change in his closet.  
Gabriel came back to the bathroom fully clothed after and they both started fixing their hair with gel. Once they were done, they went off to have some breakfast.  
"Just so you know, never try and impress a woman with swordsmanship" Gabriel said.  
"Why?"  
"The sword has the perfect shape for a penis. And I tell you, when I tried to impress a lady before your mother she threw coffee on me".  
Adrien snorted. "You say that while eating breakfast sausages"  
Gabriel glanced at him but kept eating his breakfast.  
While Nooroo sat at the table eating his plate of grapes, Plagg sat there scowling because he had no cheese, he had eaten his first wheel of the day.  
Once Nathalie came in, she spotted both kwami out in the open and her face turned in confusion.  
"Um, sir, you have a guest" she said.  
"Ah, stay here Adrien. I'll take care of it, if it's okay for you to come out, I'll let you know"  
"Okay Dad. I'll be right here"  
Gabriel got up from his seat, "Come Nooroo"  
Nooroo went straight into Gabriel's pocket before going out the door.  
As Nathalie let Gabriel go, she looked at Adrien for some kind of explanation.  
"Ah, sorry Nathalie, I know Dad's Hawkmoth and I'm Chat Noir but we're both okay with it" Adrien explained.  
She didn't say anything, but gulped a little.

"Good morning Monsieur Agreste" Master Fu greeted.  
"Oh, Sheng, there are no appointments for Adrien today" Gabriel was surprised.  
"I am not here for Chinese lessons, I'm here because of your criminal actions"  
Gabriel took a breath and he took a moment, "You're the guardian?"  
"My name is Master Fu"  
Gabriel cursed himself for not figuring it out earlier.  
"Then we have a lot to talk about. Shall we speak in private?"  
"Yes. Please"  
"Follow me then" Gabriel turned to the stairs and lead Fu up to the lounge.  
Gabriel got a proper chair for him and the older man sat down comfortably.  
"I see that you have been getting along with your son" he said as he noticed the fort.  
"We built that together"  
Master Fu smiled in appreciation.  
"Would you like some tea?" Gabriel asked.  
"Green tea please"  
Gabriel went to the door to have Nathalie get some prepared, as he came back, Fu started.  
"I received your package"  
"Adrien said that you may have gotten it by now. I presume you looked over it?" Gabriel took his seat in front of Fu.  
"I have. And I must admit, that took a lot of courage and guts. No one stays in a collapsing building knowing what's going to happen"  
"There were too many emotions of fear and terror for me to just leave. I couldn't sit there doing nothing"  
"Where were you when the first plane hit?"  
"One hundredth floor. Nooroo could keep me breathing so I could get out, there was too much smoke to find anyone quickly because it was too dark"  
"Where is Nooroo?"  
Nooroo came out of Gabriel's pocket, "I'm here Master Fu!"  
"How are you my friend?"  
"I'm very well"  
"I must thank you for the recordings"  
"Of course but..... what will you do with Gabriel?" Nooroo asked worriedly.  
"That depends on Ladybugs lead on her next report. Knowing her, she will find a way to redirect the publics view of a villianous Hawkmoth to more of a hero"  
"Fu. I must request that you wait until I tell Adrien, he doesn't know of this. And I must depart for New York next week so I can give my respects to the fallen. The trade department want me at the trade centre too, no matter how much I refuse"  
"Of course. It is only fair until Adrien understands" Fu caught sight of Nathalie coming in and setting up the tea.  
"Thank you. I appreciate it"  
"Can I ask, where Duusuu is?"  
"Ah" Gabriel put a hand in his pocket and pulled out a box, "Here. My wife and I tried to find you in our earlier days, she wanted you to have it" he gave it to him. "What about Nooroo?"  
Fu looked at Nooroo and the kwami gave a nervous aura about him.  
"What do you think Nooroo?" Fu asked.  
"Erm. We had our fights and he had his bad days but......we had much more good times together than the bad ones, I've been with him so long. I want to stay and help him"  
Fu, looked up at Gabriel who hugged the kwami and thanked him.  
"In this case, I think that the suitable punishment for you is to attend patrols with Ladybug and Chat Noir until things are settled. It will take a long time before your actions are paid for, but if you commit another terrorist action, I will take Nooroo off you"  
"Thank you Fu, I will do whatever it takes"  
"You have done far too much for me to just simply dismiss you, you do have good potential as the butterfly"  
"Take care of Duusuu. She will be wondering where Emilie is"  
"I will take care of that. For now, when you return to Paris after your trip, we can start planning a course of action"

Alya was on her personal computer at the time when Ladybug landed at her window.  
"Ladybug!" She got up from her seat, "Come in! What do you need?" She let Ladybug in and politely stood for what Ladybug may need.  
"I need some help, and your opinion"   
"Oh?"  
"I have something for you, it's sensetive but you're the best person I know that can handle it"  
"What do you have?"  
Ladybug brought out her yoyo, "I have a major scoop for you, on Hawkmoth"  
Alya's mouth dropped, "Did you find something?!"  
"Well, yeah, I'll explain it later but are you aware of 9/11?"  
"The terrorist attack on the world trade center? The twin towers?"  
"Yup, that one. Apparently Hawkmoth was there that day. And here is the footage" she gave Alya her yoyo and they went to watch it together.

The footage showed hundreds of people running out of the building in a hurry, they didn't see  Hawkmoth but then they heard yelling. They realised it was Hawkmoth's first person view.

  
_"GET OUT OF HERE! THE BUILDING IS GOING TO FALL!" Hawkmoth shouted at the top of his lungs._  
_A few men approached him in concern, covered in dust, "Excuse me sir, are you sure that the building is going to collapse?"_  
_"That's not possible, what on earth is going on?"_  
_Hawkmoth moved to explain, "Three planes, one went into the south, one went into the north, another went into the pentagon, it's an attack. We're at war, we're not safe here!"_  
_"But the towers can't possibly fall! It's impossible!"_  
_"Was the Titanic unsinkable?"_  
_The two men shook their heads no._  
_"Then move! Help as many people as you can, I'm going up to the top floors, people are trapped!"_  
_That's when they heard a beep from Hawkmoth's miraculous and he cursed to himself, "Ugh......this is a disaster......"_  
_"What does that mean?"_  
_"The telecommunications that I brought back up are down. I've got to get up there, they don't have much time"_  
_"If it helps, there are gas masks in the emergency rooms"_  
_"Thank you"_  
_Hawkmoth rushed to find an emergency room, and found a few gas masks but something came to his attention._

_Bang._

_Bang._

_Bang bang bang bang bang_  
_Bang-bang-bang-bang-_

 _The tower is collapsing._  
_In a second he jumped out the nearest window, shattering the glass and ran as fast as he could. Hearing the thundering collapse of the_   _tower behind him. Warping several times, he reached a far building away from the crashing debris and watched as the dust spread throughout the city._

 _He gasped in horror. He had an akuma inside and it was obvious that he wouldn't have survived. There are over a hundred floors worth and he was at the eightyth floor, he will be squashed among the rest of the trapped._  
_His miraculous beeped a second time, but his attention went to the second tower._

The next thing Ladybug and Alya saw was darkness and then what they assumed was his kwami flown out of the miraculous.  
Catching a younger, horrified Gabriel Agreste.

Both Alya and Ladybug screamed.

 _"Gabriel! Are you okay?!" The kwami squeaked in worry._  
_"I'm fine Nooroo, you have to recharge, there are more people that need to be evacuated in the South tower!" The man scrambled around for some grapes and got out Nooroo his final grape. "Hurry"_  
_Nooroo took the grape and started rapidly chewing on it while Gabriel kept an eye on the second tower._  
_"I'm ready!" Nooroo finished his grape._  
_"Nooroo, wings rise!"_

They saw Hawkmoth's first person view again and this time he went to the South tower, crashing into one of the top floors, he landed with no grace, there was no time for such things anyway.

  
_"ANYONE WHO CAN HEAR ME, YELL OR TAP!" He bellowed._  
_He couldn't see anything because of the dust and debris from the first tower. The added smoke was no help either._  
_He heard a struggled gasp, and went straight after it, there was someone underneath some debris, lifting it up and throwing it out of the way, there was a man in terrible pain. So bad that he couldn't move._  
_Crouching down, he found that the poor mans lower body was crushed down to where his liver would be._  
_He was dying on the inside out and desperately needed surgery._  
_"What is your name?" He asked._  
_He man wheezed, he couldn't breathe. So Hawkmoth took his wallet out of his pocket, opening it up, he found an indentification._  
_"David Webber?" He said and the man managed a nod._  
_"I will tell your family you love them" he said softly and he heard a strangled cry._  
_Taking out his sword, he positioned it to the man's heart, "Rest now. You'll find warmth in another place"_  
_Bringing it back, he striked the man's heart and he instantly went to sleep._  
_This is the fifth person he put out of their painful misery. And he didn't like the blood on his sword._  
_"Rest in peace"_  
_Putting the man's wallet in his miraculous, a simple trick he had, he went off._

The video cut off then.

"Hawkmoth was a survivor? Who knew he had a caring heart?"  
"That's the point Alya, there is more to him than everyone thinks"  
"Apparently he isn't just a supervillain, and it's Gabriel freaking Agreste, he has everything"  
"But not his wife"  
Alya quickly put the pieces together, "Oh. That. But that makes so much sense, if he's looking for your miraculous, what will they do for him?"  
"It's not anything like global domination, he wants his wife back. To repair his relationship with her"  
"How did you get this?"  
"I got it from Hawkmoth himself. He explained his actions to me"  
"Oh my god. What's going on? Is he going to stand down?"  
"Yes. Now that he told me what has been going on, you can understand him clearly, his love of his life left, leaving him in guilt and anger, thus acting upon the city in order to repair it. Now he's backing down when his heads not in the clouds, because he knows perfectly well what's like to be a victim"  
"Well that man is such a brilliant mystery. But he's a person just like us, a man with emotions and he makes mistakes. But he's done so much, how is he going to make up for all this?"  
"I'm still working on that. He is smart enough to realise what he has done, he has shown and proved his humility, whatever he has done, he could be pardoned for there is much more than akuma's on his side"  
"Girl. If you're planning to make Hawkmoth look good, I'm in for a challenge"

"Dad? Is everything alright? Was it master Fu?" Adrien asked when Gabriel came back to him.  
"Everything is just fine. I let Fu know that I have something to do before we can do anything else"  
"Oh. Great" Adrien let out a releived sigh.  
"I am under community service though as soon as I finish what I need to do"  
"Okay. What is it that you have to do first?"  
"Erm. This may sound strange but.....would you like to go to New York with me for a week?"  
"New York? For a vacation?"  
"Sort of, I do have some things to do first. Why don't you invite someone with us? Pick a lucky person that would really like to know the business area in the fashion business. We will be going to the world trade centre, it'll be a good opportunity"  
"Bring someone? Are you sure with that?"  
"Of course. It's better with more company don't you think?"  
"Yeah......." Adrien was dragged into his thoughts, "When will we leave?"  
"In a week, think about it tonight and pick someone tomorrow so I can make some passports and accommodations earlier as possible"  
"Okay. I will have a name by tomorrow"

Marinette was freaking out when she came back to her room.  
Hawkmoth was Gabriel Agreste which means that Chat........  
"Marinette?" Tikki spoke as Marionettes face twisted in shock. She grabbed a pillow, buried her face in it, and screamed at the top of her lungs. Moving back she hyventalated as she tried to process the information.  
"Calm down Marinette! Isn't it great? Chat Noir, Adrien really likes you and he wants to know the woman under the mask, he gave you flowers!" Tikki said.  
"ITS SO HARD TO PROCESS TIKKI- I JUST CANT-" she grabbed a bag and started breathing in it, the bag inflated rapidly.  
"Just take your time to process it, and when you're calm you can decide what's best to do next"  
Marinette looked at her and realised that it will take time. And she was pretty sure that the shock will linger for a while before it even goes away.  
"Yes. Slow, deep breaths" Tikki encouraged as Marinette started breathing in slowly.  
"Uuuuurggggghhhhhhh......." She dropped her bag. "We've been so bliiiiiinnnddddd!" She groaned.  
"Magic covers your identity Marinette, It's not your fault. What you can do now is rest for a while"  
"You're right Tikki......for now I just have to go with patrol and get some sleep"  
"That's the spirit Marinette!"

When she got to patrol, her nerves were all over the place. And she really hoped that it wouldn't show.  
"Hey m'lady!" Chat greeted.  
She nearly fell over herself when Adrien had said that, in fact, he had said it over a billion times.  
"Chat" she said, before she spotted Hawkmoth beside him with his old mask on. "Ah"  
"He's going to hang with us to get used to our patrol schedule. Fu put him under our service until further notice" Chat explained.  
"I see. And the mask?"  
Pappilion shrugged, "I think it's Nooroo being sympathetic, I was a hero in his suit, once at least"  
"You had a good talk with Fu then?"  
"Yes. We are not going to do anything until we come back from our trip to New York in a week. We will only be gone for five days"  
"New York.......you mean in time to give your respects?" She asked.  
Pappilion nodded.  
"Er, respects?" Chat asked.  
"It's the story I will tell you later" he explained.  
"Chat. I would like to have a private word with your Father"  
"Of course" Chat nodded and let his Dad go and talk to Ladybug. She took him to a more private space.  
"What would you like to speak to me about?" He asked.  
"I'd like to let you know that your identity was revealed in one of your recordings"  
Pappilion deflated. "Oh" he breathed, "Well......you must be dissappointed in me. Knowing that I'm your idol"  
Ladybug sighed sadly, "I was shocked, I admit"  
Pappilion pinched his nose, "I understand if you hate me now"  
"Oh no, I don't hate you. Just.....I feel bad for you"  
Pappilion's head snapped up in surprise.  
"You've been through a lot, and it's much to take in. Hate is not something I would feel straight away, I feel you don't deserve that right now"  
Pappilion took in a breath. "Can I hug you?" 

"What?" Ladybug was kind of taken aback.  
"Seriously. Can I hug you?" Pappilion was asking, damn, Hawkmoth was asking to hug Ladybug.  
"Sure......" She was unsure of how to do it, as she stretched her arms out, Pappilion immedietely wrapped his arms around her, giving a gentle squeeze.  
"Thank you"  
Surprised, as Ladybugs heart jumped in her chest as he hugged her, her hands took their time to find themselves around his back.  
"And I'm sorry. For everything, everything I've done down to the last detail"  
Ladybug sighed, it was weird having him honest.  
Pappilion sniffed.  
Not THAT honest.  
"Pappilion? Are you crying?"  
"No, I'm happy! What gave you that idea?" He backed away and blinked his tears away a couple of times, trying to look innocent.  
She giggled.  
"The ladyblogger and I are trying to find a way to re-introduce you to Paris as a hero. But you have a lot to make up for, and that starts with patrol"  
Pappilion nodded. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve that I can teach you. I'll do whatever I can"  
"Alright but I'm the boss okay?"  
"Whatever you say miss"

When the patrol finished and Adrien and Gabriel came home, he asked his son to give him a moment in his private quarters.  
"Nooroo, I have something for you" he said.  
"What?" The little kwami asked.  
"It's a surprise. I'll go and get it but you must close your eyes"  
"Okay" Nooroo's wings fluttered with curiosity as he shut his eyes.  
He heard Gabriel's footsteps dissappear for a while but then he heard him come back, hearing a few things clank and clunk on the chess table which the game was packed away.  
"You can open them now" Gabriel said.

Once Nooroo opened his eyes, he gasped.  
There was grape wine bottle with a cake, which had a 3,500 standing candles with each number lit up.  
Looking up his master, he was at loss for words.  
"Nooroo, I have done many wrongs with many things including the city. But the worst thing of all was that you had to tolerate me upon the long hours of the day. I treated you horribly, and I wasn't the best weilder, I know that even if I try to fix what I have done it will never ever be completely forgiven. But there is always room for trying, I promise to improve myself to be a better weilder to you, and I hope that we can be friends again"  
Tears welled up in the little kwamis eyes.  
"I got you a fresh grape flavoured ice cream cake, for the birthday you missed because of me. I was unnecessarily cruel" Gabriel then got out a tiny gift out of his pocket and placed it in front of him, "Here. Your late birthday present"  
Nooroo sniffled and tried to contain himself before he went over and opened the top, to reveal inside a black wooly seater his side with two holes in the back for his wings.  
He put it on slowly, putting his little arms through and his wings through the holes. It was amazingly soft.  
"Thank you........I love it, I will keep it forever till the end of time" Nooroo hugged the sweater to his chest.  
"There's something else inside" Gabriel pointed to the gift box.  
As Nooroo leaned to the box and pulled out a kwami sized glass cup.  
"I hope you like grape wine" Gabriel said, gesturing to the bottle.  
"I do!" He raised his glass and Gabriel carefully filled the tiny cup, Nooroo took a sniff and then took a taste.  
"How is it?"  
"It's delicious!"  
"Have as much as you want. You still have candles to blow out"  
"Oh!" Nooroo put his cup down and went over the candles, making a wish before he blew them out.  
"Happy birthday Nooroo"  
Nooroo, bless his little heart, broke into tears.  
"I'm sorry for how I treated you Nooroo" Gabriel said sadly.  
Nooroo opened his arms wide and gave Gabriel a hug, crying as little squeaks emitted from his mouth. Gabriel hugged him back with his big hands covering him on his shoulder.

_"Thank you for deciding to stay with me my friend....."_

  
  



	15. Day 20

Day 20

Adrien had been thinking of who to choose for the trip.   
Alya is Marinette's best friend and he felt awkward if he asked her, they weren't close enough to go on a private trip together. Besides, she was busy working on Hawkmoth with Ladybug.   
Nino will love to come but unfortunately he has the opportunity to go and meet his entire family which only happens once a year, he didn't want to do that to him.   
Which leaves Marinette. He thought that she would be delighted to come along, sure, Gabriel would embarass him but the experience will be good for her. And besides, he wants to get to know her more, crush and all.   
After their last bell, Adrien quickly got out of his seat to catch her.   
"Hey Marinette, could I have a moment with you in private?" He asked.   
"Erm. Sure" Marinette replied, her face twitched a bit. He wasn't really quite sure why she has been extra perky today.   
After Alya and Nino left them, Adrien took his turn.   
"Marinette. My Father and I are going to America next week for five days and he said that I can invite someone to join us"   
Marintte's eyes went wide a little, holding her breath.   
"I would really like to know you more, so I'm wondering.....if you would like to join us"   
"Erm.....me? Really?! But I don't have a passport...."   
"My Dad can handle that for you"   
Marinette caught herself, "Ah- erm. I would love to go with you!" She squeaked, it sounded half forced.   
"Wonderful!"   
"I'd have to ask my parents first"   
"Of course. Can I come with you so I can ask them personally?"   
"Sure! Would you like to tag along?"   
"I'd love to"   
Marinette held her breath tightly as she really wanted to scream.   
Alya watched as her best friend walked with Adrien with style. The kinds of scoop she was getting these past two days.   
When they got to the bakery, Adrien was Immedietely wrapped in hugs by Tom and Sabine.   
"Hello dear, it's so nice to see you!" Sabine said.   
"You too Mrs and Mr Dupain-Cheng"   
"No need for formalities Adrien, you are always welcome here" Tom said.   
"Would you like a crossant?" Sabine asked.  
"He would, love to but we have something to ask of you first" Marinette said.   
"Oh? Go ahead, what do you need?" Tom turned his head in interest.   
"Well, my Dad and I are going to America for five days next week and I was wondering if Marinette would like to join us" Adrien started.   
"So I would like to ask permission to go, please?" Marinette asked.   
"America?" Sabine and Tom were surprised. "What will you be doing there?"   
"We will be going to the world trade centre so my Dad can attend a meeting for trade in his fashion company, he imports and exports between countries so keeping in touch with people is important"   
"The world trade center? I thought that the twin towers collapsed over fifteen years ago" Tom said.  
"There's a new building now dear" Sabine explained.  
"Oh"   
"I don't know what we will be doing after that, but I think that my Father has a lot in store for us"  
"And why should we give Marinette permission to go with you?" Sabine asked.   
"As you know, my Father is in the fashion industry and he has an interest in Marinette's career. Also, Marinette is super talented and it would be a great idea if she could be able to learn from him first hand on how business works in the fashion industry"   
"I want to learn what I already don't know, this is a great opportunity for me" Marinette added, "Gabriel can teach me what I need to know"   
"And we can look after each other so we can stay safe"   
"So can we please-"   
"Pleaaassseeeee goooo?" They said together, pulling off their best baby eyes.   
Sabine chuckled, "Oh you two, of course you can go"   
Marinette shot her hands in the air in victory, "Whoo!"   
"Give our blessings to the trade centre memorial will you two?" Tom said.   
"We will" Marinette answered but Adrien didn't know what Tom was talking about.   
"You must have some peparations to make Adrien, so I'll pack you a box of muffins and you two can go on your way to talk to Mr Agreste""

Thank you Maman, Thank you Papa" Marinette hugged them. 

Sabine packed them a box and gave it to Adrien, "Go along and have fun you two"   
"Thank you Sabine, Tom!" Adrien said before they went out the door on their way to the Agreste mansion.   
Adrien really has to ask about this World Trade Center thing. He read about a single tower in his home study but that was it, however, there seems to be more to this story.   
Once they got to the mansion, Marinette was nervous. She just had talked to Gabriel last night, and she hasn't really taken in the facts much yet. It's all so surreal to her.   
"Hello Father!" Adrien greeted once they got inside from the front door.   
"Oh you brought the guest of honour" Gabriel said, "And it's Marinette" he came down the stairs and couldn't help but smirk at his son.   
"Shut up" Adrien rolled his eyes.   
"It's pleasant to see you again miss" Gabriel greeted her.   
"The honor is mine, I look forward to our trip. Thank you so much for the opportunity" Marinette replied.   
"My pleasure. We have much to prepare, and I see that you have brought some things, let's go to the lounge, we can talk there"   
Once they got in the lounge, Marinette instantly noticed the fort.   
"Oh, you guys made a fort? It's cute!" She giggled.   
"Thanks Marinette, It's the best place to have a nap" Adrien replied.   
Thy sat down and she opened the box, "Lemon poppyseed muffins anyone?"  
"I'm in" Gabriel grabbed one and Adrien took one as well.   
"So Marinette" Gabriel said after he swallowed his first bite, "Would you like a separate room with a double or king bed?"  
"Double please. Wait, are we going somewhere expensive?"   
Gabriel quirked an eyebrow, "We are going somewhere expensive. I have an empire, and a reputation to uphold, don't worry about the cost. Let's worry about what we will be doing there"  
"Okay. So, what can we do for a passport? I don't have one"  
"I'll prep one up for you Marinette. I will need a photo of you, can you please stand against the wall?"  
Marinette went and stood close to a wall and gave a light smile as Gabriel raised his tablet and took a picture, taking a look, he approved.  
Sitting down, he went on. "I already have your passport ready for you Adrien. Now our schedule"  
"We leave Sunday morning so we can get there by Monday. Monday, we will likely have jet lag so we take the day to adjust before Tuesday"  
"We can do anything on Monday?" Adrien asked.   
"If you want to"   
"Okay"   
"On Tuesday, as much as I don't like it, we go to the trade centre for a meeting on the -ugh, hundredth level"  
Marinette felt some sympathy for the man.   
"You are allowed in as guests with me but you won't be allowed in the meeting, do you two mind waiting for half an hour? It might drag on"   
"We don't mind"   
"Okay. Other than showing you around, knowing you Marinette, I'll explain to you how everything works"   
"I'd love to know" Marinette nodded.  
"Once we do that, we return to the surface, we go to the world trade center memorial"   
"Memorial?"   
Marinette didn't say anything, she knew that Gabriel wanted to explain it to Adrien.   
"I'll tell you later"   
"Now I'm really curious about this....."  
"It'll make it the more interesting then. Now the Wednesday I have some company places to check on"   
"Oooooh" Marinette was interested in that. Gabriel gave her a smile, "Before we have Thursday and Friday to ourselves, Friday night is when we depart"   
"Cool" Adrien commented.   
"Do we all agree on this schedule?" Gabriel asked.   
The two teenagers nodded.   
"Good. Now, Marinette, do you have a suitcase to pack your things with?"   
"My parents have one"   
"Good. Make sure that you pack the necessary things you need for the week"   
"I will"   
"I will make sure to have your passport on hand on the day. Can you be here by 7? Eat breakfast earlier and come down here in time so we can depart"  
"Sure. I can do that"  
"Now" he put down his tablet, "Rules"   
He looked at Marinette. "I understand that you have a crush on my son. As happy as I am, no raging hormones, got it?"   
Marinette's face grew beet red and she nodded. "Er, I think you'll have to give Adrien the same lecture....."

"Why?"   
Adrien gave her an odd look.  
"Okay" she took a deep breath and faced Adrien, looking down a bit, "Adrien. I'm Ladybug"   
Adrien's eyes went wide as saucers and Gabriel was surprised.   
"Erm.....surprise?" She chuckled nervously.

There was silence, "Bugaboo?" He asked and she nodded. 

"Bugaboo!!!" Adrien said and instantly gave her a hug that she started giggling about.   
"You found me out?!"   
She nodded her head, smiling wide as she saw Adrien's happy eyes that seem to be similar to Chat's.   
"Ah, you're amazing Marinette"   
"How did you figure it out?" Gabriel asked.   
"Well, when I figured you out, I figured out Adrien's and......I freaked at first when I could see the connections"   
"Oh. A love square" Gabriel realised, "I see.....that's...." He smirked, "You two are oblivious"   
"You know what this means Marinette? I can properly return your feelings!" Adrien said.   
Marinette blushed, "You.....d-d-don't have to do that right now!!"   
"Well, you know what? I'm glad I invited you, now we can get to know each other properly, how does that sound?"   
"I'd love to......"   
"As much as I am happy about it. Adrien, I don't want to be a grandfather so soon. But you're taking it slow and I'm glad" Gabriel said as the two teenagers hugged each other, they were clearly distracted so the older man cleared his throat.   
Letting go, they turned their heads to Gabriel.   
"Right, then.....rules. Curfew is nine o clock, no TV or devices after eight, we are French so I can accept close contact and kissing......"  
Marinette blushed but Adrien seemed bashful.   
"But not anything culturally inappropriate. Apparently you can kiss each other at a train station....."  
They were surprised. That is illegal in France.  
"....If you want. Morning starts at eight am, and.....how good is your English miss Marinette?"  
"Er......We learn English at school but I don't have a big vocabulary of it"   
"That's alright, Father and I can help you" Adrien assured.   
"Thanks"  
"Well. That is all, but, ah, what does your kwami eat?" He asked Marinette.   
"She likes cookies. I'll introduce you to her" she turned to her purse, "Tikki, you can come out" she opened her purse and the Ladybug kwami came out.   
"Hello" she said to Adrien and Gabriel.   
Plagg and Nooroo came up.   
"Nooroo!" Tikki squealed in delight and gave him a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay!"   
Nooroo giggled, "I'm great!"   
Tikki spotted Nooroo's sweater, "Where did you get that?"   
"Gabriel made it for me, isn't it wonderful?" Nooroo beamed happily.   
"Oh" Tikki looked at Gabriel, "It's nice to meet you properly Gabriel" she said plainly.   
"You too Tikki" Gabriel lent a hand and she shook it. Tikki seemed a bit wary.   
"You too Adrien!" Tikki said happily.   
"Thank you for taking care of Marinette" Adrien said, "You seem so sweet!"   
"Thank you, Marinette is the best Ladybug I've ever served"   
"Isn't she though?"   
Marinette blushed to herself.   
"Well, Adrien let me do whatever I want. Almost all of the time" Plagg said.   
"Well, my owner isn't perfect" Nooroo said, "But we've been through more than villian work. He's always been a wonderful partner to me"   
"Thank you Nooroo"  
Tikki just gave Gabriel a glance.   
"Er" Marinette noticed Tikki's attitude, "Tikki is a bit skeptical, she doesn't trust you enough" she explained.   
"Oh. I'm sorry....." Gabriel started.   
"No apologies Mr Agreste" Tikki said with a humph.   
"Tikki.....! That wasn't nice!" Marinette said softly but sharply to her.   
"Nice? Well, I'm sorry if I hurt his feelings but it's nowhere near an akuma attack. I'm having trouble believing the man!"   
Gabriel frowned, bowing his head down in shame.   
"I'm sorry Gabriel, she's not in her right mind right now" Marinette said.   
"No, she has every right be mad at me" Gabriel objected, he went silent for a bit before he grabbed a piece of his muffin off and offered it to Tikki.   
"Please accept this"   
Tikki eyed the piece of muffin and carefully scanned the man, "Erm.....thank you....." She picked the piece out of his hand and took a bite. "Mmm.....it's delicious...."   
"Would you like some more? There's plenty, and it's tastes better when you share...."   
"You're right. Yes please, I would like another"  
Marinette was glad that she opened up to him, "Now that wasn't so bad"   
"I'm still mad" she harrumphed again.   
Gabriel smiled at her, and to Tikki's surprise the man's smile widened.   
"What?" Tikki asked.   
"No offense but......you remind me of my wife"  
Plagg cackled, Marinette and Adrien laughed, Nooroo sniggered and Tikki made an astounded face. Looking at everyone, "IT'S NOT FUNNY!" She squawked.   
Adrien and Marinette's faces turned red.   
Now Gabriel was laughing too.   
"I'm so sorry!" Gabriel laughed.   
"Humph" Tikki pouted and blew raspberries at him before going in Marinette's bag.   
"Maybe she can give you some tips" Marinette joked.   
Her bag rustled in annoyance.   
"We should stop. Seriously, let's not annoy her" Gabriel said.   
"Okay" Marinette giggled, "Changing the subject, did you two have a good Father's Day?"   
"Yeah, we did, why?"   
"Because ......" She put a hand in her bag, and brought out a magazine, "I found that you two are on the front page"  
She handed it to Gabriel and they looked at it, on the front page was Adrien and Gabriel heading to the arcade the other day, they admit, it does look cute as comments were sprawled all over the front on about how adorable they are.   
"Emilie is going to see this for sure" Adrien said, "Look, it's says, 'caring Father'" he pointed.   
"It's been years since I've seen a magazine that told the truth" Gabriel admitted.   
They turned the pages to find them playing together in the arcade.   
"Yup.....I really hope this encourages her...."   
"Me too" Marinette said.   
"Thank you Marinette" Gabriel replied.   
"Oh! Dad, speaking of photos, did you get the ones from the photoshoot yet?"   
"Oh how could I forget? I'll go get them, give me a moment" Gabriel got up and left the room.   
"So who is your kwami?" Marinette asked.   
"Ah, his name is Plagg"   
"Nice to meet you Ladybug" Plagg said.   
"Hello! I've seen you at least once but you look like a cute little kitty"   
Plagg's cheeks went a little rosy, "Erm.....thanks! Er.....do you have any cheese?"  
"Don't try to bribe her Plagg, two wheels a day remember? Dad's rules" Adrien reminded him.   
"Ugh....." Plagg groaned.   
"Why are there rules?" Marinette asked.   
"Cause Plagg is a glutton, all he does is eat cheese and sleep all day. He always asks me for more but now that Dad is in the picture, he's become more in control of his diet"   
"Like I want to" Plagg said objectively. "It's a terrible rule!"   
"How bad is it?" She asked Adrien.  
"He has his own fridge full"   
"Whoa..."  
Gabriel came back. "Here we go...." He sat down and pulled some photos out of a plastic envelope, "There are several copies so I'll just bring out the first set"  
Gabriel brought them out and instantly Adrien gasped, "Oh.....Dad, they're.....perfect!"   
"Can I see?" Marinette asked and Gabriel passed them to her, when she saw them she instantly awed. "Oh Adrien! These are so nice!"   
"Which one do you think is best?" Gabriel asked.   
There were pictures of Adrien sitting in his Father's lap, holding hands, hugging each other and standing side by side. They were simply so perfect.....  
"I can't decide...." She admitted, her hands covering her mouth in astonishment.   
"We are going to pick out one to replace the horrid portrait in the main hall, which one do you think is best suited?"   
"The side by side one. I think that it best suits the house, because it sends the right message"   
Gabriel brought them back and showed them to Adrien.   
"Yeah, I agree with Marinette" Adrien said.   
"Me too. This one then"  
"Can I keep some copies? I want to pin them to my new billboard. Maybe put some in your album too!"   
"Let's do that"   
Nooroo was looking at them, "They're beautiful Gabriel...."  
Plagg wanted to say that they're cheesy but didn't say anything.   
"We should put the selfie I took as Cat Noir in there too"   
"Secretly" Gabriel chuckled sneekily.   
"Maybe.....someday, I could possibly in some of them in the future...."Marinette suggested, at that, Adrien's face went rosy and he scratched the back of his neck, "Y-yeah......"

Marinette giggled shyly to herself.

_"Oh Adrien, this may well be the start of your own story....."_ Gabriel thought. 

  
  



	16. Day 21

Day 21   
  
After the reveal from the day before, Adrien was excited to see Marinette This morning, knowing that she is his lady, he didn't have to block any feelings for her. He admitted, at some point, that Marinette Is amazing, she's talented, kind and stands up for others, but he refused to let himself go beyond the friend barriers, because he didn't want to hurt anyone. The idea of turning Marinette down, sounded terrifying, so asking her to wait was the best idea until he found out Ladybugs identity.   
Apparently, it turned out, to be Marinette.   
His heart soured.   
He was excited, happy, nervous, and giddily all at the same time and his body emotions couldn't stick to one at a time.   
"Hey dude? You okay? You look like something great happened" Nino asked as they were walking to class, "You have this wide smile on your face and your eyes are sparkling"   
"Oh Nino....." He sighed happily, "I'm feeling so......" He blushed, "Amazing.....I'm in love....!"   
Nino retreated back in surprise. "Really?! With whom?!"   
"Marinette......" He admitted, looking to the side.   
"Shit dude, it's about time!"   
"What do you mean......?"   
"Have you ever noticed? She's had a crush on you since she first met you"   
He was having one of the best days of his life.   
Then Marinette and Alya met up with them, he mentally tried to put himself together. Come on Adrien, play it cool.   
"Good morning Nino, Adrien!" Alya greeted.   
"Morning" Adrien replied and then he turned to Marinette, once he saw her, he literally thought that he felt his heart dance about.   
"Good morning........" He rubbed his neck as he greeted Marinette, apparently, she was feeling giddily in love too. "G-g-g-good morning Adrien.....thank you for yesterday, I had a great time"   
"Me too. I'm stoked for next week"   
"So what's going on?' Alya asked, "Marinette hasn't told me why she went off with you yesterday"   
"Ah, well. My Father and I are going to America next week and he let me invite someone with us. So I asked Marinette" Adrien explained.   
"WHAT?!" Alya gaped and Nino was flabbergasted, "Marinette, tell me you said yes!"   
"I did....." She replied shyly.   
"You're going to have a blast girl!!!" Alya whooped.   
"Yeah, we are, aren't we?" Adrien eyed Marinette and winked at her.   
"Yeaahh!" She squeaked, her cheeks flushed and Adrien swooned, she was so adorable.   
Marinette could feel his eyes on him, and didn't think that her heart could take it. She was going to explode before class starts.   
"Adrien......." She said.   
Her three friends stopped in silence.  
"Yes?" Adrien replied.   
"Erm ..."  
"Um....."  
"Errrrrrrr!!"   
Adrien was listening before she burst out.   
"Adrien!!!! I really, really, REALLY LIKE YOU!!!" she shouted with her eyes screwed closed. Her face went completely red when she realised what she just did.   
Alya got out her phone in sheer excitement as her boyfriend gaped at the whole scene before him.   
Adrien let out a happy sound, "I love you too Marinette!"   
Alya screamed mentally.   
Marinette almost fell over herself from the overwhelming shock of his reply. It took a while to collect herself and look at him again.   
"Erm, Arien...."   
"Marinette...."   
"-will you....."   
"-be my...."  
"-girlfriend?"/"-boyfriend?"   
  
Alya squeaked as she held her phone recording the whole thing, "I can die happily now"   
Adrien and Marinette both squealed before hugging each other.   
"Yes!" Marinette and Adrien said happily.   
"Alya, hold me up, I think I'm gonna faint" Nino said.   
  
The new couple walked hand in hand to their first class and decided to sit together, placing their bags beside each other so their kwamis could talk to each other, Marinette leaned into Adrien's chest.   
Both were so in love.  
But when Chloe walked in, she let out a strangled gasp like she was getting murdered.   
"MARINETTE!" her face burned with hate and growled as she stomped her way over to them.   
"CARE TO EXPLAIN WHY YOU ARE SITTING NEXT TO MY ADRIEN!"   
Marinette was about to speak but then Adrien cut in, "I am not yours Chloe! I won't be and never will be, now I would really appreciate if you showed some respect to my girlfriend!"   
The whole class gasped.   
"Ha! Girlfriend! Like you would ever like Marinette!" Chloé denied it.   
"I don't like her, I love her. Believe it or not, she's the girl of my dreams and the girl I wish to marry after college"   
Marinette blushed and Chloe gasped.   
"Now if you are done pushing her around, leave us alone! I'd rather be spending time with her than arguing with you!"   
Chloe whimpered, overwhelmed, started crying and ran out the classroom, Sabrina following after.   
Adrien sighed, "Honestly....."   
"She'll figure it out" Marinette said, "That was brave of you, thank you for standing up for me"   
"Anything for my princess" Adrien leaned in and kissed her on the head.   
  
Chloe backed down by the end of the day and was intensively quiet. Marinette assumed that she was taking it in her own way and thought to give her time.   
Beside that, Alya and Nino were ecstatic for the new couple and waved them goodbye after school as Marinette and Adrien wanted to go to their parents house and tell them the good news.   
The Dupain-Cheng bakery was first.   
Once they opened the door with a ring of the bell, Sabine gasped when she saw Adrien and Marinette hold hands. She knew right away what was going on.   
"Tom dear! You should come and see this!" She almost squealed and once Tom came out, he beamed at them.   
"Hey Mama, Papa, this is my boyfriend....." Marinette started but then the parents started hugging them and congratulating them. Sabine started to cry softly as she was so happy for her daughter.   
"I promise, I am going to take good care of Marinette and I will love her till the end of time" Adrien said and Marinette blushed.   
"We trust you son"   
"Have you kissed yet dear?" Sabine asked.   
"Mom!" Marinette jumped.   
"It's okay Marinette, you can ask me for a kiss whenever you feel comfortable to. You know, we did have some accidental ones" he winked.   
Marinette giggled, "True. So....can I....?"   
"You don't even need to ask"   
Marinette, looked at his lips and back at his eyes, he leaned in for her so she could reach.  
His heart jumped when he felt her lips on his, he kissed back, and they shared what seemed to be a wonderful five seconds before they broke apart. Marinette felt like dancing on the spot, she kissed Adrien!!   
"Well well well, look at what the cat dragged in" someone said and they turned to see Gabriel standing in the front doorway, smiling at them.   
"And it looks like a special one" he added.   
"Dad" Adrien blushed, "Hey"  
Gabriel came inside and congratulated the two, "Take care of my son Marinette, he is very precious to me"   
"I will give him all my love Mr Agreste"   
Nodding, Gabriel turned to Tom and Sabine.   
"Pleasure to meet you, I'm Gabriel, Adrien's Father"  
Tom shook his hand, "It's nice to meet you too Gabriel. It's so wonderful seeing our young ones happy together"   
"Yes. Though I wish my wife would be here to see it"   
"Your wife? Is she still missing?" Sabine asked him.   
"She is apparently"   
"I'm so sorry dear. At least you have us around now"   
"I am more than pleased to have such good company" Gabriel felt better when she said that.   
"To celebrate our new couple, please, you must join us for dinner tonight" Tom said.   
"That would be wonderful, what time?"   
"Would seven o clock be suitable?"   
"That's perfect" he turned to Adrien, "We will be there"   
"Can I have some time with Marinette? Please?" Adrien asked.   
"Of course. Go along, make some memories"   
"Have some fun together sweetie" Sabine said.   
The couple took each others hand, and thanked them before happily going out the door.   
Sabine wiped her eyes happily as she watched them go out.   
"Ah, how they grow so fast" she said.   
His eyes widened as he remembered Emilie's frustrated voice.   
  
 _"He's thirteen, his life is happening now, right before your eyes, and before you know it he will be moving out of this house and you'll realise what you've missed"_   

He breathed, as it dawned on him. 

  
_Is......Adrien moving on with Marinette? Will he won't need his Father anymore?_

  
He felt his eyes go wet as his heart dropped.   
He should have listened to his wife, to Emilie.   
He had made up with Adrien, but is it too late?   
"Hey Gabriel, what's the matter?" Tom asked, he could see the slight dread in Gabriel's eyes.   
"Oh" Gabriel snapped himself out of his thoughts, "Excuse me, I only had something dawn on me, you mustn't worry"   
"No please, share, you mustn't trouble yourself"   
Gabriel sighed. "Oh well....if you insist" he prepared himself as the married couple waited for him to speak.   
"I just gotten along with my son, I just wonder.....if he has Marinette, will he ever have time or need for me?"   
"Oh dear, he will always need you, and he will always love you" Sabine approached him, "Don't you worry about that. Having a girlfriend doesn't mean less for you, it means a bigger family and more love in your world"   
He smiled,  "You're right. Though, I can't help but worry about him"   
"We always worry about our children dear"  
"You do?"   
"Of course. Every parent has fears"  
He remembered that Chat Noir once told him that he wasn't alone, apparently he was right. Maybe he does need some good friends.   
"Besides, it must be hard to carry those worries when you're raising Adrien by yourself" Tom said.   
"I er.....I don't think I raised him....he taught me how, and my wife was better at it than me"   
"Now that's a surprise!" Sabine said.   
"You have a very loving and smart boy Gabriel" Tom said.   
"Yeah......I do"   
"Would you like to come inside and have some tea with us? We are just about to close up"   
"I'd love to"   
  
Gabriel got settled in their kitchen to have some tea with them.   
"Here" Sabine handed him a cup, "It was nice of you to invite Marinette over on your trip"  
"It's my pleasure"   
"So I heard that you will be taking them to the World Trade Center" Tom started a conversation.  
"Oh yes. I go there to give my blessings every year on the day"   
"That's so nice of you, do you have friends or family over there?"   
"Yeah......." Gabriel started remembering the people he encountered, the dead ones, the survivors around him and his akuma's.   
"......All of them. I was there on that day"   
Tom and Sabine's faces turned horrified.   
"What?!"   
"I was there" Gabriel repeated, he was much too used to people reacting after telling them.   
"Oh you poor man. What level were you on?"  
"Hundredth"   
Tom swore quietly to himself.   
"Hundredth? Then......"  
"I was the only survivor above the impact zone, the staircase was broken and the elevators didn't work. I had the guts to jump down the debris and make my way down"   
He lied but what kind of explanation would he have to give? Hey, I'm Hawkmoth, I transformed to get out and tried to help, like that would work.   
"Couldn't you help others?"   
"It was too pitch black to find anyone. I was close to the staircase, so I was lucky"   
 _No Gabriel. You were in the meeting room far from the staircase._    
"That's terrible"   
"I still have my visitors pass to prove it. I'm lucky I got out in time before the building fell"   
Tom and Sabine looked at each other.   
"We can't imagine Gabriel" Tom replied.   
"No one can" he shook his head. "Well" he sighed, "I may as well hope that the next one I'm having a meeting in doesn't go down"   
"We sure hope not"   
Gabriel sighed again, "Negative things aside" he took a sip of his tea, "How have things been on your side?"   
"The bakery is very popular these days so we are running well"  
"No doubt, your daughter has brought in many of your pastries and so far I don't feel guilty to go in and have anything. Everything you make is delicious"   
"Thank you Gabriel"   
"I'll feel free to come in to order a croissant for my afternoon snack any day"  
"Always feel free to come here Gabriel"   
He looked around, and spotted a doughnut in a box, opening the box up he could see that it was topped with cinnamon.   
 _Cinnamon......Emilie used to smell of cinnamon._    
"You can have that if you like" Tom said.   
"Er, thank you" Gabriel just stared at the doughnut, remembering that Emilie used to sneak them in the house when she was pregnant with Adrien.   
 _Hey.....what day was it again?_  
A voice echoed in his head.   
  
 _"I'm sick of this, I'm sick of you" Emilie spat._    
  
 _Oh......it's.....that day again......_  
  
"Gabriel?!" Sabine gasped and he didn't know why the woman was running to get a tissue before he touched his face.   
He was crying.   
"Here dear, oh what's the matter?" She handed him a tissue and Gabriel just sat when he realised what day it was.   
"My wife left me on this day" he breathed. He stood up, "I should leave....."   
"No, sit down. There's no shame in feeling" Tom pushed him back down again, "It's alright, stay, until you feel better. You can talk about it of it will comfort you"   
Gabriel looked around, Tom was right, he couldn't just walk out in public like this, he'd make a fuss.   
"Is there a couch I could sit on?"   
He saw the couch near their TV.   
"Of course. Sit down"   
Gabriel got up and sat down on the couch, making himself comfortable, he wiped his eyes.   
"I'm sorry for causing such a fuss"   
"It's no fuss Gabriel"   
They were so soothing and caring, he didn't know what it was. He didn't have any parents around his childhood so how would he?   
Maybe.....it was what he needed.   
He felt more tears roll down his face and he gulped down saliva. His heart burned in pain and his hands covered his face.   
He just had to remember. But he always did.   
He cried his heart out.   
  
Adrien and Marinette were eating their ice cream from Andres ice cream stall, they were more than upbeat about their ice creams that matched their loved one. They should have known.   
They found a bench to sit on and ate their ice creams, Marinette found that Adrien likes licking his while she took mouthfuls which Adrien found terrible. "You're supposed to savor it Marinette!" He said, while she giggled, poking her tongue at him and Adrien chuckled in response.   
As they were close to eating their entire cone, Marinette wolfed down half of it, with her cheeks all puffy, Adrien broke up laughing.   
"You look like a squirrel with acorns in his cheeks!"   
"How wude!" Marinette mumbled and Adrien thought it was insanely cute.   
  
"Hey" Plagg whispered in his pocket.   
"What is it Plagg?"   
"The butterfly magic is interfering with me. Do you feel anything fishy?"   
"Huh? I don't-"   
All of a sudden, he felt pain, sorrow, anguish, guilt, it hit him like a wave. When he closed his eyes, he saw his father, hands on his face, with Sabine and Tom trying to comfort him. Gabriel was in pain.    
"Adrien?" Marinette was surprised when he froze, and then she swore she saw a glimpse of purple in his eyes. When she saw him close his eyes, he opened them again and shot up.   
"Oh god, what was that-"   
"Calm down kid!" Plagg said.   
"Adrien!" She got up and grabbed his hands, ice creams forgotten, he looked at her and took a breath. She watched as he thought for a bit and then he looked at her again.   
"I just......felt Dad...."   
"What do you mean 'feel'?"   
"I think it's the butterfly magic, I sensed my Dad's emotions. He's....he's in emotional pain, he's so...." He shook his head and squeezed his eyes.   
"So that's how Hawkmoth found his victims" Marinette said.   
"Yeah" Adrien nodded his head, "If Dad didn't make up with us, I'd bet I would be able to find the people he akumatises but.....I must go to him"   
"Why do you think he's so upset?"   
"Well......Mum left him on this day, so it must have dawned on him. I remember he used to close off any contact with me and stay in his room, I always wondered why but...."   
"You're right. Let's go to him"   
"Thanks Marinette"   
  
When they got to the bakery, they found Gabriel talking to Tom and Sabine with wet cheeks. A box of tissues sat next to him and he seemed comfortable yet hurt, you could see it in his eyes.   
He was listening eagerly to Marinette's parents as if he would searching for some comfort.

"Oh Dad....." Adrien said sadly before he ran over to his Father and once Gabriel saw him, he got up so Adrien could hug him and he wrapped his arms around his boy tightly.   
Sabine and Tom smiled as the small broken family hugged.   
"The poor dears....." Sabine said softly.   
Marinette then came over and hugged Gabriel too, joining Adrien, and as Tom and Sabine saw that, they joined in as well.   
Suddenly Gabriel had a circle of warmth around him, and his heart felt a sense of love and assurance. Smiling, he thanked them. 

To calm down, Marinette let him rest in the lounge upstairs to have Nooroo as company. Sabine and Tom thought that a good meal would brighten his spirits at dinner.   
Tikki, on the other hand, was curious.   
Tikki got up, wondering around the room to find him, suddenly she found herself in Gabriel's surroundings.   
By the window, Gabriel was standing there with a hand to his face to wipe his tears as he cried softly. Nooroo sat on his right shoulder in worry and concern as he cuddled up the man's neck to try and comfort him.   
Tikki's sense of hate for the man dropped and it was replaced with concern.   
"Mr Agreste?" She asked as she flew up to him, "Why are you crying?"   
Gabriel was too emotional to answer.   
"He is taking a moment to let out emotions" Nooroo explained for him.   
"For what?"   
"For the wife that left him, Emilie"   
"Oh.......bad day?"   
"It comes and goes"   
She watched as tears glistened down his face and her heart dropped as she knew that those were real tears.   
"Gabriel.....?" She approached closer and Gabriel turned his head to meet her eyes, his lips were pressed together and his eyes were full of pain.   
Sniffling weakly with raw emotion, Tikki frowned.   
"Gabriel......."   
"Say what you want Tikki, but my will is stronger. Even if I have to wait for my beloved wife"  
"So you're telling the truth"   
"Of course I am. I have everything except something that you can't buy, love, my Emilie, my wife that I fought with! That I shouldn't have fought with, the one thing that you only get once in your life, your soulmate, your heart, your entire world"   
"Oh.........I'm so sorry....."   
"Don't. I don't deserve anyone's pity" he blinked his eyes and more tears dripped down. "According to you, I'm heartless Hawkmoth, I don't deserve anything"   
"Oh. I apologise if I inflicted such thoughts on you. I was merely being cautious"   
"Course you were" Gabriel scoffed.   
"I didn't know whether I could trust you, I always have a bit of a judgement before approaching any strangers, especially villians" she explained. "But.....you're nice. You're courageous, brave and....I see now how strong you really are. You so much more powerful than Hawkmoth is, because you push yourself away from temptations of taking the miraculous and take yourself into waiting my instead no matter how painful and....endure that"   
Gabriel listened as Tikki spoke.   
"I see why Nooroo likes you now. You're strong minded, and very loving, you hold what is dear to you and you protect them"   
"Tikki, do you have any idea how much I want to set another akuma? To get her back?"   
Tikki sighed. "No"   
"But my will not to is stronger, but harder. Tikki.....I just want Emilie to know that I love her, that I'm sorry.....and I'd like her back in my arms...."   
Tikki flew up to him and gave him a hug, "Don't worry.....don't cry....because I know she'll come back to you, don't worry about her being gone, that's in the past, look forward to her return!"   
Gabriel finally smiled, "That helps, thank you Tikki"  
Tikki gave him a sweet smile and nuzzled his cheek, "You're welcome"  
Gabriel hummed, before he sighed as Tikki let go of him "I think I should rest......"   
"Lay down, I'll get you a blanket"   
Gabriel approached a nice bed and grabbed a pillow to position just next to the arm rest, laid down and felt a blanket cover him, pulling up, he gave Tikki his glasses and thanked her.   
"Have a good rest" Nooroo said.   
Gabriel slowly closed his eyes, and went to sleep.   
"I'll let Adrien know he's sleeping" Nooroo whispered to Tikki.   
He went down to the kitchen where Adrien was, sitting next to Marinette with her parents and snuck in his jeans pocket. He had to wait a while until he could make a move.   
"I can't believe how sad your Father is, it was good for you to approach him and get to know him" Sabine said.   
"Yeah" Adrien sighed, "I miss Mom too but Dad has a big heart. Actually......in the beginning I thought that it was my fault"   
"You don't assume anything without finding any answers son" Tom said.   
"Yeah. So when I found out that he had a fight with her ....I was relieved but, oh....poor Dad....I wish I could do something for him"   
"When we go on our trip, we can look after him" Marinette said with assurance.   
"Thanks Marinette"   
Nooroo yanked Adrien's shirt and he made an excuse to go to the toilet. Once he got in the room, Nooroo came out.   
"He's sleeping" Nooroo whispered.   
"Oh. Thanks, how is he?"   
"Tikki comforted him, I think he'll be just fine!"   
"Thank you Nooroo, tell Tikki my thanks"  
With a nod from the purple kwami, he flew out.   
Nooroo came back to Gabriel and saw Tikki sitting on his ash blonde hair.   
"He's sleeping soundly. I think he'll be just fine" Tikki said.   
"Adrien sends his thanks" Nooroo said.   
"It's okay. What about you? You've been with him for so long"   
Nooroo sighed, "Oh, I've never seen what Gabriel has seen"   
"You mean the twin towers? I can't believe I wasn't activated for that"   
"You weren't in America Tikki, even if you were activated, you wouldn't even get there in time. The towers went down in less than an hour"   
"That's horrible!"   
"I know. Even if you had your heal, it's not a magical situation. The towers would collapse anyhow"   
"Our powers would have saved people without my heal"   
Nooroo sighed, "Oh well, that's in the past. No use dwelling on it now, they're gone and all we can do is respect the people who lost their lives"  
Tikki hummed in agreement.   
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Tikki remembered.   
"You will have to remember a girl named Alya Césaire, she knows Gabriel is Hawkmoth!"   
Nooroo squeaked. "How on earth..."   
"Your recordings, they revealed him"   
"Oh, when he escaped tower one?"   
"Yup, that"   
Nooroo sighed in frustration, "We can only hope that she will keep it to herself"   
"Ladybug had her promise not to"   
"Well that's going to make things complicated for her. What is she going to do when she finds him here when she makes a visit or something?"   
"Play it cool"   
They heard Gabriel groan, "Tikki, Nooroo, what are you kwami talking about?"   
They looked at Gabriel and his eyes were open, pushing his blanket aside, he got up and wiped his eyes.   
"Gabriel" Nooroo flew up to him, "How are you?"  
"How long did I sleep for?"   
"About half an hour"   
"Oh good. I feel much better, I should go down and join everyone. I've caused enough fuss as it is"   
"Are you sure?" Tikki pressed.   
"Yeah.......I can't be sad forever" he got up and adjusted his clothes.   
Adrien then came up in the room.   
"Dad! Are you alright?" Adrien asked.   
"I'm feeling a bit better" Gabriel replied honestly.   
"That's great! Well, er, I came up to tell you something.....I think it'll make you feel better" Adrien seemed a bit nervous as he twiddled with his ring.   
"What is it?"   
"Well er, I don't want to keep this from you but....on Father's day when we went out for lunch er..... Mom was there"   
"What?" Gabriel's eyes widened.   
".....She was a few tables away" Adrien added.   
"Why didn't you tell me?"   
"Because......I didn't want to ruin Father's day for you if you two bumped into each other...."   
Gabriel looked disappointed, sighing, he tried to find the right words to tell his son.   
"I appreciate that you meant well and that you wanted to help me. And you did, because I had the best Father's day, whether I saw Emilie or not. And I'm grateful. Thank you"   
Adrien sighed, "Thanks but I feel bad because you feel bad......"   
"I do. And it's hard, I don't think it will get better but....one step at a time a I guess.....but it enlightens me to know that Emilie is around and she is okay....." He trailed off.   
"Dad?"   
"Adrien, I need a therapist. I'm not getting any better"   
It was crushing down on him again.   
Adrien sniffed, "Oh....."   
Tikki and Nooroo thought he said that he was fine. But maybe.....maybe not.....  
Adrien was terrified, terrified for his Dad.   
"You're right. I wish the best for you, so you can be happy again" he went over and hugged him. "I'll do the best I can too, you know I love you Dad" Adrien's voice cracked.   
"Thank you Adrien. Thank you" Gabriel kneeled down to Adrien's eye level.   
"Can I.....do therapy with you? I think it'll help better as a family"   
"Are you sure?"   
"Yeah......besides, I can feel emotions now. Including yours. You know I just....." He took a deep breath, "I miss Mom too....."   
Gabriel just froze. "Adrien........am I...."  
"Don't be sorry for giving me your powers Dad"   
Gabriel mused, his eyes lowered a bit.   
"Do you really want to join me?"   
"We're in this together. You're stuck with me whether you like it or not. Besides......I don't..." Adrien's eyes started brimming with tears, "I don't like seeing you so sad.......so...." The tears started spilling out and Gabriel put his arms around him to comfort Adrien. Stroking his hair, he planted a long kiss on his forehead, "Oh Adrien....."  
"We can heal together"   
Adrien sniffed harshly, "Yeah....." He nodded. 

When they got home that night, they were greeted with the new portrait of themselves in the main hall. Instantly they smiled, as their hearts grew a bit warmer.   
Gabriel asked Nathalie to get him a therapist and set an appointment in one weeks time, as the woman nodded in concern, Gabriel and Adrien decided to transform and go out for some fresh air. 

Hawkmoth sighed.   
"Hey .....don't be down Dad"   
"No I'm not down, it's just that today was supposed to be special for you, you have a girlfriend now"   
"Aw Dad, you're family too, you matter as well. It's not like I'm going to ditch you"   
"Funny you should say that" Hawkmoth muttered.   
"What was that?"   
"Nothing"   
Chat dismissed it with a hum, "Are you bringing Nathalie?"   
"I think.......should I?"   
"She has been looking after us for years, what we can do is invite her with us. I think she'll appreciate it"   
Hawkmoth hummed, "I think she will. I'll do that" 

 

"Hey" they heard Ladybug's voice as she approached them and Chat Noir got up to take her in his arms, making her giggle, "It's really funny, now that we know who we are now" she said.   
"It feels like bliss m'lady"   
She blushed and Chat's eyes started getting sparkly.   
Hawkmoth chuckled to himself at the sight. It was very cute.   
Chat brought her hands together and kissed them.   
"Aw my kitty" she awed.   
Now it was his time to blush and she giggled at his reaction before pressing a kiss on his lips, once Chat got a hold of himself, he wrapped his arms around her and pressed softly in return.   
 _"Ah, how nice it is to be young"_ Hawkmoth thought.   
"It's about time!" Rena Rogue dropped in and Hawkmoth shot up, standing, he camouflaged himself in the dark of the night.   
As Ladybug and Chat Noir pulled away, they didn't hesitate to admit it.   
"Y-yeah...... we're dating now" Ladybug said.   
"That's right. Ladybug and I......we couldn't be happier" Chat smiled.   
"Good for you, Chat has been following you forever, it's about time"   
"But why are you here? I didn't give you the fox miraculous....." Ladybug asked.   
"I found it on my desk all of a sudden, I thought you put it there"   
"Master Fu" the two said in unison.   
"Who?" Rena Rogue asked.   
"It means.....that you're a permanent addition to the team now, congratulations"   
Rena's fox ears perked up, "What?! Really?! Whoopee!!!" She cheered and started doing a little victory dance.   
"I think Master Fu added her as an addition so we can look after Hawkmoth more" Chat assumed.   
"Hawkmoth? Oh yeah, there hasn't been an akuma in a while"   
"Er, well, we have another bit of news for you" Ladybug started, as they both turned around and they didn't see Hawkmoth.   
"Err......" Chat looked around.   
"Is there supposed to be someone there?" Rena asked.   
Chat moved a hand forward, and it landed on Hawkmoth's shoulder. "What are you doing?"   
Silence.  
Chat moved up and patted on his head, then Hawkmoth dropped his camouflage. "What are you doing?" He asked, grabbing Chat Noir's hand and pushing it away.   
Rena squeaked and moved away.   
"I'm wondering what you're doing" Chat stated.   
"Keeping myself out of sight, I don't want to scare the new girl"   
"By camouflaging yourself? That's a sick move, you are a butterfly"   
"Well thank you"   
"Err, I don't know whether to be thankful or wary" Rena started.   
"Thankful, for whatever for?"   
"For doing what you could at the twin towers"   
Chat's ears perked up and Hawkmoth made a surprised sound.   
"Um......." Hawkmoth's eyes were wide, "How do you know....?"   
"Err" Rena looked at Ladybug, and Ladybug nodded to her.   
"I'm Alya Césaire, I've seen your recordings"   
"Alya?!" Chat was surprised, "Ah" he took a proper look at her, "You are her!"   
"Yeah. Funny ain't it, you kissed my palm when you first met me"   
Hawkmoth rose an eye at his son and Chat looked back him, "What?", Hawkmoth just ruffled his hair a bit and said nothing.   
"So, is the extra news about Hawkmoth?"   
"Ah yeah. Him, err, long story short. He's my Father" 

Rena blinked.   
Hawkmoth is Gabriel Agreste, and Chat Noir is his son, so......

"Shit!" She exclaimed.   
"Yeah. I know right?"   
"No. Complete and utter shit Chat Noir, are you two timing my best friend?!"   
"NO?!" Chat was shocked and surprised at the same time. Hawkmoth snorted.   
"No he's not Alya! He's.....well, he's dating the same person" Ladybug explained.   
Rena stepped back, "What?"  
"Hey Alya" Ladybug waved.   
"You're......you're Ma......Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-"   
"Please don't freak out!" Ladybug said.   
"No girl! I'm fine! I'm just a little......" holding her breath, she turned to Chat, then back to Ladybug and repeated it.   
"Three, two...one....." Hawkmoth counted down before Rena clicked the pieces together and started laughing.

"Why does everyone have to laugh?!" Ladybug complained. 

"Oh sorry, it's so oblivious.....!!" Rena snorted at some point, "But you, Hawkdaddy, are another thing"

"Don't call me that" Hawkmoth seemed a little offended, "But it's true, and it's a nice nickname" Rena replied, Hawkmoth just rolled his eyes. "What's with you and akumas?" 

"Not today Rena" Chat said, "It's not a good day for him, he's a bit down" 

"Oh?" Rena looked at him and suddenly Hawkmoth was looking straight to the ground, looking sorry for himself. "Ah, sorry I asked"

The three stared at him for a while, as Hawkmoth still wasn't feeling so good, it has been up and down all day. 

"Tell you what, let's call it a night and go to bed" Chat suggested.

"...........Alright" Hawkmoth sighed. 

_"I may as well visit Emilie again in my dreams"_

 

When he went to bed that night and closed his eyes, he did. 

His angel, shone before him again, and she came over to give him a crushing hug. 

 

_"Darling dear......It's so good to see you again" She said._

_"Emilie.....oh Emmie, when are you coming home?" He sobbed as he wrapped his arms around her, "I missed you today...."_

_"Oh Gabriel" She let go of him and started wiping his tears, "I'm so sorry we keep meeting like this"_

_"But why do we?"_

_She looked up at him, "Because I'm in your heart Gabriel. That's where home is, I'm always with you"_

_"Then......is this real, or is this not real?"_

_".....It's as real as you want it to be"_

_Taking a deep breath, he reached for her hand and held it gently, her touch made him feel better. "Oh god, this feels so real...." he smiled and kissed her, "Oh....." he kissed her again before resting his head on her shoulder, "I love you...."_

_"I love you too sweetie" She said before he felt her hand stroke his hair._

 

 

Adrien was in bed with him, but kept a distance for Gabriel's personal space. Once he noticed that his Dad is asleep, he thought that he was peaceful at last. 

Until Gabriel started breathing, and it became  _rapid._

He shot up when he realised that he was dreaming, who knew, it sounded more like that he was dreaming about having sex with Mum. 

"Ugh, gross Dad. What on earth.....?" Adrien was kind of grossed out, Gabriel was sleeping on his back and the facial features showed that he was in pleasure. 

Next thing, Gabriel's body bolted up and his teeth clenched together for a few seconds before he dropped down again, panting.

"Now that's gonna stain....." Adrien assumed. 

He was going to wake him up, but Dad looked so happy and blissful after. 

Well......he'll laugh about it in the morning. 

 


	17. Day 22

"What on earth---" Gabriel was aghast at the mess he had made the night before. 

"PFFFT" Adrien found the situation funnier than he thought. 

Gabriel jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom. 

"Dad. You we're breathing in your sleep" Adrien explained, chuckling. 

"I didn't think it would actually affect me!" Gabriel's voice was heard. 

"How bad is it?" 

"Like, I peed my pants bad" 

"Wow. That's very literal" and Plagg cackled. 

"It's not funny. Wait- I'm not going to even start there" 

"Now that's a story I don't even want to hear" 

"Believe me, you don't" 

Someone knocked on the door. 

"Come in!" Adrien called out and Nathalie came in.

"Adrien?" 

"Good morning Nathalie" 

"Where is your Father?"

"In the bathroom, I think it best not to disturb him. If you need to tell him something, just give it a shout"

"Oh, okay. Gabriel, you have a meeting in ten minutes!" 

"I'll be right there!" Gabriel called back.

Nathalie looked to Adrien, "You have school young man, breakfast is at the table" 

Adrien got out of bed and went past Nathalie, he didn't want to miss seeing Marinette after all. 

Nathalie eyed Nooroo and the little kwami just shrugged. 

"Sir? Is there a reason why you are shut in the bathroom?" she tried to open the door but it was locked. 

"Pass me a fresh batch of underwear and pants please......" Gabriel sighed. 

Nathalie, not knowing what is going on, grabbed the stuff he asked for and gave them to him through the door, afterwards, Gabriel came out to get dressed, leaving the stained sweatpants on his bed. 

"Shall I take this to the laundry?" She asked, picking the pants up. 

"Please do" 

Nathalie picked it up and left the room, once she got to the laundry, she put it on the sink, and noticed the stains. Gulping quietly to herself, she blushed, but she was at work and handled her feelings by running away from the pants as quickly as possible. 

 

"Gooood morning Marinette!" Adrien greeted his girlfriend at the front of the school just as he was dropped off by Gorilla. 

"Good morning Adrien!" She giggled, giving him a hug as he opened his arms out to her. "How are you?' 

"Well........." He started, then his face twisted, "Errrgh......." and he burst out laughing. 

"What?" Marinette was interested in what was so funny. 

"My Dad, he-" he started laughing again, "I don't know why I'm laughing, it's not even funny!" 

"Well, I'm glad you're in a good mood after last night"

"Me too. I'm glad to see you Marinette, how are you?"

"I'm great, now that you're here" 

Adrien beamed, "Me too m'lady!"

 

Gabriel checked Nathalie's tablet after his short meeting, and made note of what he should do for the day, when he gave the tablet back to her, he remembered that he should invite her to the vacation. 

"Ah!" as he remembered his finger pointed up and Nathalie froze in her step, as Gabriel realised the position he put himself in, he looked ridiculous standing there with his mouth open. 

She turned around and looked at him oddly, as her boss shut his mouth with a little blush in his cheeks and put his hand down. Clearing his throat, he put his stoic expression back on. And stopped. 

 _"How do you exactly ask a women other than your wife on a vacation?"_ He thought. _"Oh god no. Gabriel, keep a hold of yourself, you can socialise with your son, you can do it with Nathalie!"_

"Gabriel?" Nathalie spoke which took him out of his thoughts. 

"Nathalie......." he held his breath, " Would you like to come with us?" He asked. 

"Where?" She asked. 

"As a guest, to America" 

"Why?" She asked. 

"Because you have looked after this family for over fifteen years, I want to at least show my appreciation" 

"Oh" Nathalie turned around to face him, taking off her reading glasses, her eyes met his, for a moment there, she seemed to be relaxed. "Thank you........" She tried to figure out an answer. 

"I'd love to come with you" 

"Wonderful" 

Nathalie rose an eyebrow at him, "You haven't done this before haven't you?" 

Gabriel shook his head admittedly and Nathalie let herself slip up a smile, "First time for anything Gabriel"

He felt himself lose a little bit of pride. 

"I have a passport, I will be there on Sunday" She said, going back to work, once she was out of sight, Gabriel let himself breathe. 

_"Maybe I should make a mind map on how to speak to women.......I was shy around Emilie at first but I got along with her, no. I can talk to anyone including Audrey.......so why is Nathalie making me nervous?"_

He grumbled to himself and went to work, he can make a mind map later. 

 

Adrien was writing when he felt an odd emotion, it was his Father again, but this time, it seems that his Father is fussing about something. 

"What?" Marinette asked him, "You're making a face"

"It's fine. Dad's just fussing about"

Marinette gave him a bright smile, "I see" she said before going back to work. 

 

Nathalie worked at her desk and noticed as Gabriel grumbled to himself, he'd grumble when he's frustrated but it's been heard every five minutes. 

 _"He's thinking"_ she thought,  _"More like fussing on his thoughts"_ she looked at Nooroo and the kwami ate his grapes on her desk wondering what's going on with Gabriel. 

_"Maybe I should get him a cup of cocoa to ease his mind"_

She did so for morning tea, after getting a nice cup of cocoa, she approached her boss. 

"Gabriel" She said and he flinched in his spot. "Nathalie?" 

"You seemed a bit tense, so I thought to bring you a cup of cocoa"

"Oh. That's.....thoughtful, thank you" He received the cup and blew off the steam, after taking a sip, Nathalie was still standing there. 

"Would you like some tea or something?" He asked. 

"I can get my own tea. I'm standing here because you've been grumbling about, what's going on with you?"

That caught him, "Errr......Nathalie, I'd rather figure it out before I answer that question......" 

"Alright. If you say so"  she turned away and went back to work. 

 _"I'd better work this out!"_ Gabriel mentally told himself. 

When lunch came, he ate and thought to take a good break from his thoughts, he went to a window, transformed and jumped out to travel to Adrien's school. 

"Oh hey!" Chat was there and he came over to give Hawkmoth a hug. 

"Ohhh, hey" he hugged his son back and Ladybug came up as well. 

"Look who's here in the middle of the day" She said. 

"How are you feeling? It seemed that you have been fussing around today" Chat asked and Hawkmoth pouted, "Can we please not talk about that? I came here to take a break from it"

Chat laughed, "Okay"

"Then maybe I can tell you about how we do patrols, to take your mind off" Ladybug decided and they all sat down. 

"Okay, I'd like that" 

Ladbug got herself comfortable and started talking to him, however, she had his attention for a while until his eyes started drifting off. 

"Hawkmoth.....?" She asked and the former villian stood up, she turned around to find what he was looking at and in the distance she spotted smoke pouring out a tall building.

"What is it?" Chat asked. 

"That building, about eighty levels high, it has a fire!" Hawkmoth pointed. 

"It is!" Chat gasped. 

"Follow me, I know how to handle this painstakingly well"

"I trust you to it" Ladybug nodded and Hawkmoth flew off with a burst of air. Ladybug and Chat Noir had to catch up to him fast and follow his black trail to the fire site.

Once they landed, Chat was horrified, Dad has done this before?

He kept close to him and Hawkmoth have him a comforting look. "It's okay son. I'm actually glad you're here with Ladybug"

"Really?"

"Yeah. It only seems to be a large gas explosion but it's not a magical situation. So we must evacuate the building before the fire spreads"

"What do you recommend?" Ladybug asked.

"Unless if you want to do the horrid dirty work of helping the dead and injured, go up immediately, the smoke will be suffocating if there is broken glass" 

"Then if you're going to attend to the injured, I must go with you" Ladybug said.

"We'll go up" Hawkmoth concluded.

"I'll go down. Though it's a high building"

"Remember, ten levels down, catch your breath, rinse and repeat, if you reach the bottom, raise the alarm and come back up with the fire emergency please" Hawkmoth informed his son, with the fire around them and screaming in the background, Chat looked scared.

"Son. I'm sorry you have to go through this, but I'm counting on you" he held Chat's shoulders firmly.

"I will do the best I can possibly do" Chat breathed and nodded to his Dad. 

"There's no time to waste" he let go, "Come Ladybug"

Chat ran out of the burning room with care and when Hawkmoth looked at Ladybug, she was already looking around. 

"The floor and roof are blasted through the impact zone.....it's hot in here..." She said through the blaze. 

Hawkmoth grabbed her and pulled her out to the main hall "Careful, you're hurting Tikki. Kwami's can feel"

"Ah, sorry!"

"No apologizing to me, to Tikki"

"Sorry Tikki....."

"We have to get around, I really don't like it but we have to" 

"Okay" she breathed, "Let's go"

They ran through the halls together. 

"IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, YELL OR TAP!" Hawkmoth bellowed.

"Lets get to the rooms closest to the impact zone" he suggested, once they kicked down one door and ran inside, Ladybug screamed in horror.

There was someone there, burned heavily in flames and it looked like his skin cracked open, below him was his own blood. He was dead, evidently. 

"That's nasty" Hawkmoth groaned. Ladybug just burst into tears. 

"Hey, hey, there's more people in need of help. Pull yourself together" He said, and Ladybug wiped her eyes, nodding to the older man.

They went around and there was another. A female laying on the floor with half her legs gone. She looked like that she was in so much pain that she couldn't scream. 

Ladybug and Hawkmoth rushed over.

She held her hands as Hawkmoth found some frantic and tied them around her legs tightly above the burned areas. And then got some more to cover the bottom half of her legs. 

"Okay, let's get her to safety"

Ladybug and Hawkmoth lifted her up, and he let her drape over his shoulders. 

"Downstairs" Ladybug said and they went right for a stairway where they started running down. 

Once they got ten levels down they found someone going through one of the halls. 

"Excuse me!" Ladybug yelled and the person stopped, "We need medical help" 

"Ladybug?" The man was confused, "Do you know what's going on?" 

"Gas explosion, are the elevators working?" Hawkmoth asked.

As the man saw Hawkmoth, he backed away a bit but then he got concerned about the woman he was carrying.

"They're working, I just used one" 

"Okay. You need to evacuate the building, could you help get this woman down to safety?" 

"Of course. Lean her own my back, I'll carry her" 

The man was big enough to carry her on his back. 

"Be careful, warn as many people as you can" Ladybug informed him.

"Sure. I swear I saw Chat Noir running around but I'll do what I can" 

"Thank you" Ladybug said and the guy ran off with the woman.

"Back up Ladybug" Hawkmoth said and they started going back up. 

"I can't believe you did this once upon a time" Ladybug said as they ran up.

"It was two hundred floor towers and a couple of planes, not as bad as this. Technology has changed" 

"Yet this is very frightening" 

"Yeah......I'm sorry you have to go through this" 

"But yet I am. And it's my duty" 

They looked through the impact zone again, apparently the people evacuated and besides the dead, there was no one to find, but the fire was spreading.

"Let's move up" he said and they made a move. 

It was another ten levels up and they rose the alarm for everyone to leave, the sprinklers were activated and everyone just ran out by the stairs.

"What about the handicapped?" Ladybug asked. 

"Shit. The stairs won't work"

"Why don't we just use the elevator?"

"That's the stupidest idea ever. If there is something wrong with the building, the elevator will fail and you can suffocate inside. I'd rather have them carried down by people who can do that" 

"And it's going to take a long time for everyone to get down....." 

Hawkmoth hummed. "Well, the staircase is big enough, what I can do is freeze it to create a slide" 

"You mean akumatise someone" She said. 

Hawkmoth gave her an offending look. 

"Every person who has passed you didn't like you here, your presence itself is disturbing to them" 

"Well, it's their lives or their feelings towards me. Could you raise a voice in my stand?" 

"I can do that"

"Alright"

Upon the evacuees, Ladybug shouted, "Everyone! May I please have your attention?" 

Everyone stopped and looked at Ladybug. 

"We cannot risk using the elevators so we are using the stairs, but it's going to take an hour to get down. So we need a volunteer to help Hawkmoth create a slide"

"What do you mean?" A lady asked. 

"It means to akumatise someone to give them the power to aid others" Ladybug answered. 

The people did not like that.

"No way!" Someone shouted. 

"Attention!" Hawkmoth yelled firmly and he was met with silence. 

"There is no time for the past right now. I am aware of my actions but akumatisation means to give abilities, based on a person's intention. It's neither good or evil, I will not force anyone to make the choice to do it or not, I am only asking so we can help each other with Chat Noir and Ladybug with us. So we can get down to the ground, to safety before the fire catches on" 

They grumbled and talked among each other as they put together their options but one called out. 

"I'll do it!" 

Hawkmoth, as he heard that voice, swore he recognised it. As the person came forward, he gasped. 

"Thomas?"

"Hey. Buddy, it's nice to see you again" the middle aged man said with a wink. 

"Who is he?" Ladybug asked. 

"He's my first akuma, he helped everyone contact their close friends and family on the twin towers" he explained as he turned his head to her.

".......I thought you were dead" he turned back to Thomas. 

"I came here looking for you. But now it seems that I'm helping you again, so since you are going to save my life the second time, I'll do the same for you" 

"You don't have to....."

"I want to" Thomas smiled at him and gave him a pat on the shoulder. Turning around to the confuddled crowd, he spoke. 

Everyone! Hawkmoth may be a known villain but he is a person like everyone else! I don't know why he has been akumamatising people but I'm sure he has a good reason. Why do I know this? Because he saved my life at the 9/11 twin towers!" 

"Everyone gasped.

"He is a hero in my eyes. I was an akuma that helped fix communications so firefighters could help others, so the trapped can communicate with their loved ones. He was there, helping people as much as he could. He couldn't save everyone, no, but he's a man of great spirit, courage and kindness. There is no way I wouldn't be honored to help him save others" 

He turned to Hawkmoth and grabbed a piece of paper on the floor. 

"Akumatise me please. I'd like to volunteer"

Hawkmoth sighed, "Well, here we go again....." He eyed the crowd and picked took the paper from Thomas's hand, putting a bit of magic into it, he extended it out to Thomas. 

"Thomas, can you please help me evacuate all of these people out of the building?'

"Of course, Hawkmoth" Thomas took the paper and black magic surrounded the man before he turned into the Icinator, as the crowd gasped, the new akuma turned the stairs into a slide. 

"Well, everyone, have fun, and be careful, we don't want any injuries" Hawkmoth informed everyone, and slowly, Ladybug got them all down the slide. 

"Well, this looks fun, shall we look for more victims?" Ladybug asked. 

"This slide goes right up the top, I don't think that we will be having any problems" Icinator told her. 

"We have cleared the impact zone, I think we have done enough to get everyone out" Hawkmoth concluded. 

"You guys know how to do it, so I think we shall meet up with Chat Noir at the second staircase" Ladybug suggested, as the two men nodded, "Let's go" 

They went back to the impact zone where they noticed that the fire had grown even bigger, so they waited until Chat Noir came back with a group of firefighters. 

"Chat Noir!" Ladybug greeted and they let the firefighters do their jobs, Ladybug hugged Chat tightly. "Oh Chat, it was frightening......"

"I hope that the impact area didn't scare you bug" Chat frowned. 

"There was a dead person........I don't know, it was horrible......! And my heal can't fix this sort of thing, to know that someone died and you can't do anything about it....." 

"I'm so sorry Ladybug......" Chat held her close and Hawkmoth thought to put his arms around the two for their comfort. 

As they watched the firemen do their job, the couple huddled together. 

"You know what. Come back to my place, I'll make a suitable excuse for the teacher and you can rest up. You're both shaken by the ordeal" He then turned to Thomas, "I can provide you a guest room at my place, if you need one, that is"

"I'd like to know the identity of my savior" Thomas said, "Can I...?" 

Hawkmoth looked down to the two teenagers and nodded, "Okay, you can come with us. But you need to stay as an akuma so we have a slide until things settle" 

They waited for a while until....

"Hey!" Alya appeared, she looked exhausted, probably from scaling the stairs. 

The three turned around and saw her, Hawkmoth looked a bit startled but kept his arms around the couple. As the ladyblogger held her phone up, she awed. 

"Hawkmoth! What are you doing?!" She asked. 

"Ladybug and Chat Noir had a bit of an ordeal from the explosion, there were victims and the sight wasn't pretty so I'm giving them some comfort" 

Ladybug blushed. 

"Oh really? What happened to the change of heart?" Alya asked, "What happened to terrorizing Paris?"

"No more. What I did was wrong, I have moved on, besides....." he looked down at chat Noir, "I can't keep fighting against my only son" 

Chat Noir's ears flickered eagerly as he looked up at his Dad. 

"What? Really? Is that true?!" Alya went along with it. 

Hawkmoth put a hand on his son's shoulder and Chat put his own hand on his, "Yeah. Hawkmoth is my Dad, and yet, he is the kindest man I know, what he did was wrong but now he wants to make up for it"

"Chat Noir, is it true that Hawkmoth was a hero that saved victims in the world trade center towers at 9/11?" 

Chat Noir's face was wide in surprise, "Erm, I don't know about that......"

"Yes. Yes he is" Ladybug confirmed. "And look now, he helped us save more" 

"Welcome to the good guys team Hawkmoth" Chat said.

"It is my pleasure, I promise to give good service to the city in order to make up for what I have done, till then, I hope you can both forgive me" 

"We will see, until next time Ladybloggers!" Alya ended the live stream there, once she put away her phone, she gave an exhausted breath. "Oh god my body aches like hell......" 

"Dad, do you really think it was a good idea to reveal that?" Chat asked. 

"What else can I say?" 

"I think you did a great job Hawkmoth, everyone will see that you have turned around!" Alya said. 

"Baby steps Hawkmoth" Ladybug added. 

"Ladybug" A fireman approached, and they all turned around, "Everyone has evacuated the building, it is safe to leave" 

"Thank you" she replied and then turned back to the gang, "Let's all go back to Hawkmoth's place" 

"I can travel" Thomas said. 

"What about me?" Alya asked. 

"You can come with us" Hawkmoth concluded, "How about Thomas carry you?" and Alya looked at the akuma who stretched out his arms. "Sure"

"Let's go, I'll take the lead, we can't go as a group in my house, we will go down the back through my lair" 

"Alright" Chat was eager to see his Father's lair. 

Thomas lifted Alya up and they jumped out of the building. 

While on the way there, Hawkmoth contacted Nathalie to open the large window to his lair, leading them, they jumped in with ease and he closed it up with a button in the floor. 

"Whoooooaaaaaaa!!" Alya took a look around, "So many butterflies! Is this seriously your lair?" 

"Yes. It is a garden actually, it's where I did my scheming" Hawkmoth explained, "Now" He approached Thomas, took his akumatised item and extracted the magic out of it which caused Thomas to lose his akumatisation. 

"Ah, back to normal" Thomas stretched his body. 

"Wow, and that's doing it without a butterfly" Ladybug said. 

Hawkmoth eyed Thomas, "Er, Tom, can I trust you with my identity?" 

"Of course. I promise to keep it to my grave" 

"Well....I trust you" he turned to the others, "Can you?" 

"Yeah. He came knowing that he will have some secrets to hold otherwise he wouldn't have come, so I trust that you believe him" ladybug replied, and Chat nodded. 

"Okay, well, here it goes....." 

"Wings fall" 

The magic dropped and Nooroo appeared beside him, Thomas gasped as he recognised Gabriel. "You're Gabriel Agreste!"

"Yes, that I am" Gabriel pushed in his glasses with a smirk, "I am an old man now, back then I was starting my company"

"That explains things" Thomas said before Chat de-transformed, "And you must be Adrien" 

"Yes, sir" Adrien wanted to be polite for a first impression, "And Ladybug is my girlfriend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng" Marinette de-transformed as well, "Hello" She greeted. 

"It's nice to meet you two, heroes of Paris" he then spotted the three kwami. "And those are.....?" 

"I'm Tikki, this is Plagg and Nooroo, we are kwami, we give them their powers!" Tikki introduced and Thomas gave her a pat on the head, she giggled. 

"Are you okay Tikki?" Marinette asked her kwami, "Hawkmoth said that you can feel the fire....."

"I am a little hot but otherwise okay" She said, "And Gabriel is right, we can feel the elements so please take care" 

"Of course, I wanted to make sure you're okay" Tikki flew to her cheek, "Thanks Marinette" they giggled. 

"Well. The hatch only let's one person down at a time, all you need to do is press this button on the floor" Gabriel showed them the button beside the hatch, "I'll go in first" 

Gabriel went through and once he arrived to his office, he moved aside, seeing Nathalie next to his desk. 

One by one, everyone came out, including Thomas. 

"Gabriel....." Nathalie gave him a sharp glare.

"Hold it Nathalie, he's a friend of mine. This is Thomas, Tom, this is Nathalie"

"Nathalie? Is she your wife?" 

The three teenagers burst into giggles and Gabriel spluttered, "No, she's my assistant" 

"Sorry about that" Thomas replied sheepishly, shaking Nathalie's hand. 

Thomas, he seemed to be quite a large man, a bit like Tom but smaller, around the same height as Gabriel and he looked so friendly, his face had no facial hair and looked like a normal businessman, like the one Gabriel met in the towers. He had bright blue eyes and black hair, he seemed like a nice man around Gabriel's age.

"I'm guessing that you must have a family?" Gabriel asked. 

"No unfortunately, I've been around but, I've never found the right one. So, when I was an akuma that day, and a telephone line was there for me to travel through to get out, I guess that the universe was telling me that the right person is still out there somewhere and it wasn't my time. So thank you"

Gabriel smiled, he felt his heart flutter a little, and he shook his hand before he was pulled into a hug. 

"Oh!" he laughed a bit and gave the man a pat on the back, once they parted, Thomas was beaming with a smile. 

"How are you? You seem good" He asked. 

"I'm okay. I'm more happy that everyone got out of the building, why were you there?"

"It's a business building, I work there" 

"But everyone didn't get out.....there were some victims....." Marinette added. 

"Would you like me to inform the principal that Alya, Marinette and Adrien are here?" Nathalie asked, "I'm sure you have some catching up to do"

"Yes. Please, thank you Nathalie" Gabriel nodded. 

Thomas looked back at Gabriel with worry, "There were victims....?"

Gabriel sighed, "Unfortunately, there were and miss Marinette had a bad experience" 

Marinette sighed heavily, "It was horrible, I can't believe that you two experienced much much worse...."

"That reminds me. Dad, could you please tell me what's with two towers?! My head is exploding!!" Adrien was almost pulling out his hair. Thomas gave Gabriel a surprised look, "He doesn't know....?"

"I was going to tell him when we leave for New York this Friday but it seems that he really wants to know" Gabriel couldn't blame his son, "Shall we settle in the lounge where I can explain everything?" 

Adrien nodded and Thomas understood the situation, they went and settled into the lounge. Adrien seated himself next to his Dad, eager to know. Gabriel could see the interest in his eyes. 

"Well son, you know that there's a world trade center right? A single tower in lower Manhattan?" 

"Yeah"

"Well, seventeen years ago there used to be two completely different towers in the same place" 

"What? What happened to them?" 

"Well, that morning on the day of September eleven, I went to New York to start my Agreste business so I had a meeting in the morning. I was on the hundredth floor at the time. And so.....when we were about to start the meeting, we heard this huge explosion below us, the building shook, and before we could figure out what was going on, smoke was coming in all around us. I had to transform because it was dark and I couldn't breathe"

"What was the explosion?" 

"It was a plane" Thomas explained. 

Adrien gasped, "A plane? Was it an accident?" 

"No. It was a terrorist attack" Gabriel answered, "I tried to help as much as I could and that's when I met Thomas, I akumatised him so he could reconnect the phone lines. There wasn't much contact because the phone towers were right on top of the towers, it was a huge problem" 

"A terrorist attack? What? Why?" 

"We don't know"

"So what happened to the towers?" 

"One plane went into the north tower, one went into the South, another one hit the pentagon which is a distance away from the towers, and a fourth one tried to attack the White House"

"That......crazy, you were there? How tall were those towers?" 

"Over a hundred levels in each tower"

"Shit. That's way more than the building we were just in, and it was planes, not an explosion, imagine how much fuel ignited, there must have been so much fire. And what about the elevators?" 

"They were mostly down, and one staircase was down too in each building so the people above the crash site couldn't get out"

"So you must have been the only one to survive on the level you were on!" 

Gabriel nodded, "I saw so much panic, terror and havoc that day"

"And the buildings are gone so......"

"The buildings collapsed my boy" 

Adrien's face went still white, "What?" 

"They collapsed" Thomas repeated. 

"You're kidding! No wonder you haven't told me, if you didn't escape, I wouldn't be alive! How many people died?" 

"Over two thousand, including people who jumped, policemen, firemen, people who worked inside the building and others that couldn't get out"

"Oh my god" Adrien breathed, "So where were you?" 

"I was.....in the staircase trying to help people get out as much as possible, once the North tower went down in a staggering ten seconds, I went to the South building" 

"So......you were there.......how many people did you save?' 

Gabriel looked at Thomas, "Well......other than the survivors there were people that we're dying painfully and I put them out of their misery....."

"That was a very honorable thing you did" Thomas replied. 

"Well I.....I took their wallets containing their identifications and returned them to their families, telling them that I have met their loved one and they love them" 

"That's......I see why you want to visit the memorial" Adrien said softly. 

"You visit?" Thomas asked in surprise, "Yes, every year"

"We are actually leaving this Friday" Adrien said. "Nathalie and Marinette are coming along"

"Oh.....that's so nice of you" 

"So Dad......given what you just told me........I can't believe......." he shook his head, "You were there...." 

 Gabriel waited for him to talk.

"Is there any tv news on about it?" 

"Oh yes, Emilie recorded it down. I'll get the DVD"

When Gabriel came back with the DVD, the inserted into the TV, and for a long time, Adrien watched the film from beginning to end, Gabriel and Thomas watched, recalling the event, Marinette and Alya watched silently but this was the first time for Adrien. 

"This.....this is horrible, the planes.....they we're hijacked?"

"Yes" Gabriel answered. 

"What about the fourth one? Did it reach the white house?"

"No"

"Really? How? Why?"

"Because the people inside refused to let the hijackers take over, they tried to take back the plane and it crashed into a field in the rural area. They are known as heroes"

"Wow!" 

"They did what no one else could do" Thomas added. 

"They were very brave to do that, I can't....." His eyes drifted to the TV screen again as the north tower collapsed, he gasped. As the tower went down, huge debris fell everywhere and reached the areas around it. 

"Oh no......." 

Alya and Marinette frowned at the scene that they saw before them. "The poor civilians....." Tikki said, she quivered a bit. 

"Don't cry Tik" Plagg came over to hug her, "The victims are in a peaceful place now"

She hummed softly. 

Adrien was stunned, he didn't know what to say, at the end of the day he figured that once he would arrive in America to see the memorial, he would be able to figure it out. 

Thomas got a call from his work saying that due to the incident, they won't have any work the next day and so he thought to go home in the evening and come back tomorrow, he had a lot to catch up on with Gabriel. Eventually, Alya and Marinette said their goodbyes and went home in the afternoon. 

"Are you alright Adrien?" Gabriel asked his son. 

"Yeah, just......I don't know how to absorb what you told me today, but, I think that when we go and visit, it'll unravel then"

"I understand. When I was there, it was bizarre that the towers we're gone, it was hard to register, it was a beautiful and normal sunny day, it just didn't make sense"

Adrien smiled sadly up at him, "I see......did you every figure it out?"

"Well.....I think I have but it always leaves questions, like there's a little weight in your heart that is always asking why but.....it's not a bad thing"

"Okay. I think I will have to just find out"

"There's no rush"

"Thanks. I'll tell you when I do" 

"No worries"

Adrien was about to leave but he remembered something, "Dad?"

"Yes?"

Adrien looked up to him, and tried to find the right words to thank him for doing his best at the towers, without his courage, he would never have been born. 

"You're a hero to me" 

 

There was a stunned silence between Father and son as Gabriel had no idea what to say to that until Plagg broke the silence. 

 

"You two are so cheesy" The kwami sighed. 


	18. Day 23

_"Hero or villain? Ladybug and Chat Noir made a shocking reveal that the villain Hawkmoth is the Father of our very own Chat Noir! After the Ladyblog streamed Hawkmoth's surprising move on evacuating the Monparnasse tower after an explosion with the help of Ladybug and Chat Noir. We come live with the workers"_

The screen turned to an interview with witnesses. 

_"Yup, Hawkmoth was tere, I saw him with Ladybug helping an injured civilian, I wasn't sure it was him but blimey!"_

_"He actually asked- asked if we could volunteer to be akumatised to help him!!!"_

_"Did he force anyone?" Nadia asked._

_The two men shook their heads in disbelief. "I mean, Ladybug was there and she let him!"_

It switched to another witness. 

_"Someone came up and told everyone that he was a hero at the 9/11 terrorist attacks!!"_

_"Is there proof about that?" Surprise was evident in Nadia's voice._

_"No. But the guy seemed to be so sure....."_

_"Did his akuma attack anyone?"_

_"No one at all!"_

_"Thank you very much"_

The screen switched back to Nadia's report. 

_"We will report future activities on Hawkmoth's motions as he now works with our beloved heroes"_

Gabriel switched the television off and sighed. "We weren't supposed to do anything until after the trip" 

"A building had an explosion and you followed your gut to go after it. It's not your fault" Thomas said. 

"Ah well. The second time in my life" 

"A better second time. The first was horrible" Nooroo said. 

"A horrible event that no one else wants to experience again. I lost all of my friends in there" 

"Oh my. I'm so sorry" 

"I visited them once but that was it. My heart has no place for New York anymore, it's just.....memories. So I thought, my hero had this crazy French accent so why not move to where he comes from? And I built a life here, I have no regrets" 

Gabriel smiled, "I could never find your name on the memorial. Every year I would put a white butterfly on each name of the people I akumatised and an American flag for the people I met and died. Well, mystery solved and I'm glad you're okay" 

"Yeah but, what about you? And what's this Hawkmoth business?" 

Gabriel sighed and started to explain his story. 

 

"Hey Mari, it's almost been a week since you and Adrien started dating!" Alya said in their classroom. 

"It is! Happy first week!" Marinette beamed. 

"I'm so happy for you girl. Also, yesterday's events have completely hyped up my blog! The Hawkmoth is Chat Noir's Dad reveal has gotten everyone crazy!" 

"Do you think it might be on the news by now?" 

"It could be going on as we speak!" 

"Well, while that is going to take some time to get used to. Yesterday after you and I left, you can't believe what Adrien did!" 

"What?" 

"He had his phone in his back pocket, and apparently it accidentally called me. I picked up of course, but he didn't say anything. So I hung up, and called so it would activate his ring tone. He picked up and guess what! The screen-" she giggled, "Activated a call all on it's own!" 

"You mean....like a butt call?" Alya gasped. 

"A butt call!" Marinette laughed. "Oh oh oh!" 

Just as Adrien entered the classroom, Marinette shouted, "Booty call!!" 

Adrien burst out laughing and then the entire class went nuts. It was funny. 

"Oh Mari, that's  _awful_!" Alya laughed, her cheeks were growing red. 

Adrien banged on the nearest desk,  _hard._

"I hope that it wasn't an invitation my love" Adrien joked. 

"We literally have our own meaning for it" 

"You're such a charmer. I love that about you" he said before slapping his butt, "You're never going to live that one down, ever" 

"Other than 'Marinette's just a friend'?" Alya added. 

"Oh shit no" Adrien's eyes went wide as he remembered. 

"What did you say?" Marinette asked her friend. 

"I mostly heard it from Nino" Alya started explaining before Adrien started panicking. "Nooooooo!" 

 

 

"Well, I must say, I am so sorry for what you've been through. But you certainly have come a long way" Thomas commented on Gabriel's finished story. 

"Er well....." Gabriel sighed, "I agree, if it weren't for Adrien, I wouldn't be here talking to you"

"That's great progress, right?" 

"Yeah. I'm glad for my son, I am so grateful for him" 

"Is he the only son you have? I was sure that, with a house as big as this, that you would have more"

"Oh, I wish, but Emilie had a hard time carrying, we had three miscarriages before we had Adrien" 

"What? Really? I'm so sorry"

"Ah no need to apologise, we are blessed enough with Adrien alone" 

"So.......do you know where Emilie is now?" 

"No clue"

Thomas sighed sadly at his friend. 

"So......what about you? Anything in your life since I first met you?" 

"Ah, well, after all of the craziness, I lost all of my friends in the north tower. I looked for you for days on end, checked the bulletin if anyone was looking for you, when I asked for a purple figure, people thought I was crazy or had no idea"

"Sorry about that, I went in hiding after just in case if too many people saw me, I didn't want to be a terrorist focus. The only evidence that I was there is witnesses and my recordings from my scepter, Nooroo keeps them all"

"Oh wow. Even when the building fell?"

"I escaped before the first one but when the second building fell, I was literally inside the lift section carrying people down, like, in the pipe where the lift goes down"

"What?!" 

"I still remember hearing the building coming down, and I held the closest people tight and just dropped. The building crashed on me as I tried to shield as many people as I could, there were at least five......one died because of the falling debris"

 "So.....I had four people squashed together between my legs and I was keeping ten tonnes of debris above me"

 

_Hawkmoth clenched onto his teeth as he kept his arms up, holding the debris above him, he groaned heavily as the debris was extremely heavy. He didn't want to let go otherwise he'd risk the survivors lives including his own. He looked down to the people below him, one man tried to get up and help him but he told him to get down._

_"It's too heavy, it'll crush your arms" he explained._

_"Are you made for this sort of thing?" The oldest man out of the group asked._

_"No, I make superheroes, I'm not built to be one, but......what can you do?"_

_"Then there must be something we can do!" The youngest, a lady, very attractive even with all the dust- asked._

_And then, Hawkmoth's miraculous beeped._

_"DAMN!" He yelled._

_"What's going on? " The youngest man asked._

_"I am going to lose my power in minutes!"_

_The group feared for their lives._

 

"I lowered the debris and apparently, to my luck, held up enough that it didn't threaten to crush us. Of course, Nooroo was exhausted and I asked the witnesses to keep my secret, on the other hand, they thanked Nooroo for his hard work. We we're freed the next day"

"Blimey"

"Joan, Harrison, Billy and Gordon were excellent company"

"Gabriel gave me a nice bath, and lot's of grapes after" Nooroo said, "I was exhausted" 

"Technically, we both took a deserving bath. When I got to my hotel, people rushed to me because I was covered in dust. They were very worried" 

"You didn't go to the hospital?"

"I'm stubborn, I only got checked on, but when I got home, Emilie got me to the nearest hospital from the airport. She was so worried about me" 

"Good for her. But everyone got out?"

"Four out of five people that I guarded got out"

"I remember that only around twenty survivors got out of the rubble, so you actually got four out, that's...."

"I know" 

"I helped as a volunteer down there to help clean up including blood donations, mostly plasma, I was hoping I could find you, but never did"

"So you moved here"

"Even after I saw you as Gabriel Agreste on television, I don't know, I had this weird feeling that it was you but I could never be sure. But when I heard of this Hawkmoth figure and heard your voice on tv......I had found you, but you had turned evil. I still remember that day, my stomach churned, I couldn't believe it, but it was your voice. I always remember your voice"

"I'm sorry I scared you"

"Nah, now that you explained yourself, I understand why you did it now" 

"Well, you found me at least"

"When I saw you yesterday and you asked to akumstise someone for the safety of others. I couldn't believe it, when I caught your figure, just as you came into my sight, I was so happy, I found my rescuer" 

Gabriel smiled. 

"I can't say thank you enough" He said to Gabriel and then looked at Nooroo, "Now, please, explain what Nooroo is, I do have an understanding that he's the source of your powers"

"He is. Nooroo is what makes me Hawkmoth, I carry" He pulled his scarf aside, showing his miraculous, "A charm which is called a miraculous, each one is different, Ladybug has two earrings, Chat Noir has a ring. To activate my powers, I call on Nooroo for a transformation, he is sucked inside the charm and changes me"

"That's amazing! So, how did you get him?"

"Emilie and I found him in Tibet at a market along with the peacock miraculous and a grimore that explained everything about the miraculous, but in code"

"I see. You must have been surprised what they actually were huh"

"Yes. Emilie had a huge surprise and I had to go over to her in order to figure out what was going on, it took time for us to take in what we actually purchased"

"Gabriel was more calm about it" Nooroo giggled. 

 There was a knock at the door and Gabriel let Nathalie in, "Sir, the kitchen is short of supplies"

"So? Have the chef bring them in then"

Thomas was surprised that Gabriel had his own chef, but he was rich so he didn't think about it. 

"He has fallen i'll and is incapable of doing his job, I am already looking for a temporarily replacement for tonight"

"Then we will go out tonight, Thomas will join us" 

"Er? I'd love to" 

"As for the groceries......" Gabriel thought for a bit. 

"Why don't we all just go to the supermarket to get what we need? I need to do my shopping this afternoon anyway" Thomas suggested. 

"Wonderful, then, please get me a shopping list of what we need, we will go this afternoon after school, find a chef by tonight" 

"Of course sir" Nathalie bowed her head and left the room. 

"Well. This will be different, I haven't been shopping in a while...." Gabriel admitted, "I doubt that Adrien will have any clue" 

"That's okay, I will be with you, I can help" Thomas offered. 

"Thank you, that will be much appreciated" 

 

When Adrien got home, and entered the house, he was very surprised to see Thomas and Gabriel standing together at the stairs. When they caught sight of him, Gabriel looked at him, "Adrien, we are going to the supermarket, would you like to come?" 

"A supermarket? Oh goody! I'll come!" 

"Great. Because I'm coming too, I need to do my own groceries" Thomas said as the two older men came over to Adrien. 

"But why do we need to go? Not that I'm complaining...." He asked his Dad. 

"The chef is out tonight, so we need to complete a shopping list" 

Adrien hummed in excitement, "This will be different....." 

 

They went outside, got into the car and went to a supermarket, leaving the Gorilla in the car park, once they got in, Thomas became the lead. 

"Okay, so what do we need?" Tom asked. 

"Well", Gabriel got out his phone and scrolled through the shopping list, "It seems to be in categories, dairy, bread, foreign foods...."

"Like the Vegemite and wheat bix?" Adrien guessed. 

"Gross!" Tom shuddered. 

"Oh, bad news. Plagg likes the Vegemite on his cheese. We need to double the amount of Camembert.....and jars of yeast extract" 

"Man, I feel for you little buddy" Tom commented. 

"Thanks. It's worse than it seems"

Gabriel eyed the two, frowning. 

"What? I'm a born American, the stuff is poison" 

Adrien chuckled. 

"Well, at least the list is in categories, that makes our job easier" Gabriel concluded. 

"I'll get us two shopping carts" Thomas went off and came back with a shopping cart for himself and Gabriel, before they went off to get their stuff, starting from the fruits and vegetable section. Next to the area was the dairy section, in which Adrien felt Plagg buzzing around in his bag. 

"No Plagg. Dad's in charge of your intake, and that's final" Adrien whispered to his bag. 

The buzzing stopped. 

At some point, they had to go and get some canned tomatoes which are used in pastas, apparently, they were stacked up in a pyramid. 

"Whoa" Gabriel looked at it. 

"Yeah, whoa" Adrien agreed. 

Thomas chuckled at their surprised gazes. 

Gabriel was about to get some from the bottom, "Whatever you do, don't-!" Thomas spotted Gabriel in time and grabbed his wrists, freezing, they both guided each other away from the cans, the pyramid wobbled, but then stilled. "-pick the bottom ones....."

The two men got up, "Get the top ones first, you don't want the entire thing tumbling down" Thomas explained. 

"Ah, thank you" 

Tom let go of Gabriel's wrists. 

"Guys, I like to _lettuce_  know that the next thing in the list happens to be in the bread section" 

Gabriel frowned at his sons pun before getting the required number of cans he needed, putting them in the cart. Adrien had been guarding their carts. Tom chuckled at Adrien. 

"Is it a _peel_ ing to you Tom?" Adrien added, grinning. 

"Oh lord, that is so funny" 

Gabriel rolled his eyes. 

A woman, apparently was strolling past them and she smiled at Adrien's puns. With a child of her own at her side, she could help but comment. "Your son is so clever" 

"Why thank you" Gabriel replied, Adrien rolled his eyes at his Father. 

"You and your....." she turned to Tom, "-Life partner must be so proud" 

The three held her breath as the woman smiled at them and went strolling past, doing her own thing. 

When she was gone, the two men blushed. "Erm.....what did she just say?" Gabriel asked. 

Adrien kept himself together and tried not to laugh at what he just heard. 

"She just thought that we're a couple" Tom replied. 

"I'm sorry?" 

"No. Really, I'm having a hard time digesting what she just said" Tom was bewildered. 

"Actually......I'm wearing a wedding ring so she must have gotten the wrong idea that we're married" 

"Oh good lord!" Tom pressed a hand to his chest in shock, "No no no no no no" he shook his head. 

Adrien's cheeks were puffed up, red, from trying not to laugh. 

The two men turned away from each other in embarrassment, shuffling about. 

_Well, that was awkward....._

After a while, the awkwardness subsided, and the two men went back to working together. Adrien pushing their cart along the way, following after. 

Once they got all the food down, they went exploring through the rest of the store. 

"I didn't know that stores sell things like slippers and undergarments......" Gabriel said. "They're cheap, how do you know if they're even good?" 

"I don't purchase cheap stuff in this category, so I don't know. If I need a quick and easy replacement, I'd go for these, but nah"

"What product do you buy then?" 

"Er......yours" 

Gabriel saw a tinge of shyness in Tom, he blinked at him in surprise. 

"Gabriel products are the best in my opinion. They're quality, and I have had my own pairs of stuff lasting at least five years" 

"Well, that's nice to know"

"In fact, all of my clothes are Gabriel, see?" Tom lifted his shirt sleeve and showed him the G icon. 

"I'm flattered" Gabriel said honestly. 

"Saying it now, is kind of embarrassing. But then again, I've lived in America and these are the best clothes I've ever had in my life" 

Now Gabriel just felt shy a bit. 

"I'm going to just stop talking......" Tom trailed off. 

Adrien grinned at the two. Oh, he could tease them. 

 

Then they stopped at the deodorant section. 

"Adrien, we need to get you one of these" Gabriel addressed. 

"Oh yeah, I do" Adrien came over and they started to take a look, "Now let's see....." 

"One of the soft smelling ones" Gabriel said. 

No no, I need one strong enough to fend off the stink of cheese" 

"Good point, what about mint?" 

"Perfect!" 

They got one and put it in the cart. 

"We need a roll on type for now, since sprays can't go on the plane" Gabriel explained. 

"Oh yeah"

 

Then they came upon the frozen section where countless ice creams were displayed, Gabriel watched his son lick his lips in interest. 

"I can't believe that these places would try and encourage sugar intake" He said. 

"But they look so yummy....." Adrien said. 

"We could have ice cream over the holidays" He said, ignoring his sons baby eyes. "That doesn't work anymore. You're not a five year old kid"

"Well, at least I tried" Adrien shrugged.

"I just make my own. Making ice cream using just milk, water and fruits before they start rotting, they actually taste nice" Thomas commented. 

"That's not a bad idea, how do you make them?"

"Using molds, I think they're in the kitchen section" 

"Handy" 

"Yet, chocolate has to be an exception"

"Chocolate?"

"Yeah. No one can say no to chocolate! They are suitable for any occasion, for a mate, partner, wife, whoever and whenever"

"I can't disagree with you on that"

"Me either" Adrien also agreed, "Maybe I can give some to Marinette for valentines next year, what about you Thomas?"

"Me? Er, well, I don't have anyone" 

"Aw"

"I know, it's a shame, but I'm sure you'll find her" Gabriel replied. 

"Him"

"Who?"

"Him, I'm gay"

Gabriel caught himself, "Ah"

"Surprised?" 

"Erno........people are open about their sexuality these days?"

"Of course, didn't you know?"

"I'm have a bit of a shocked and surprised combo, I mean.....I'm bisexual"

"Oh wow!" 

"WHAT?" This was news to Adrien. 

"Don't worry, I am only 30% gay" Gabriel assured his son. 

"That doesn't comfort me" Adrien shook his head. 

"What on earth- Adrien, Thomas isn't going to steal me" Gabriel gave off a laugh.  

Adrien then directed his sight on Tom who laughed nervously. "Noooo, we're.....just..................friends....." Tom held his breath. 

 _"We will see about that"_ Adrien thought. 

"See?"

As Gabriel went along, Adrien motioned to Thomas that he was watching him. "Just so you know" He said, growling a little bit. And Thomas walked ahead, after Gabriel. 

 

Once they paid for their things and got out of the supermarket, they had their hands full with bags. Putting them in the back of the car, they got Thomas back to his apartment, got his things put away, and went back to the mansion. 

"We better start packing" Gabriel suggested once they got the first load of bags in, Nathalie came running over to help. 

"I'll help you with the groceries, shall we go to the kitchen?" Tom asked. 

"Thank you. Adrien, you can go to your room and pack before we go to dinner"

"Sure Dad" Adrien gave him the bags he was holding and went off to his room. 

"Let's go" Gabriel said. 

 

Once they got inside the kitchen, Tom gasped. IT. WAS. HUGE. 

"Is it necessary for it to be this big?" He asked. 

"It was all the necessary equipment, Nathalie, do you know where the fridge is?" Gabriel turned to his assistant.

"Over here Gabriel" She said. 

They got to the fridge and started putting everything away. 

"Can't I have my Camembert in my safe fridge in Adrien's room?" Plagg asked as he appeared. 

"What mini fridge?" Gabriel asked. 

"Errr....." Plagg caught himself, "I don't know....."

Gabriel gave him a dominant glare, "I will be inspecting it later. And the answer is no, two wheels a day, eight is way too much"

"That's not fair!" Plagg complained. 

"Complain and you'll only get one"

Before Plagg would further complain, Tom placed a hand on Gabriel, "Hey now. He's intelligent, be reasonable at least. I mean, you wouldn't do that to Adrien right?"

Gabriel sighed, considering what Tom said, he worked out how much would be reasonable. He made a point, of course, he would never be like that to his son. 

"Three wheels and that's final"

"Deal!" Plagg nodded his head before he looses any more cheese. 

"Now that wasn't so bad" Tom smiled at Gabriel. "Once you get to know him, you'll find that he's very greedy" Gabriel commented. 

"I am!" Plagg said proudly and Nooroo sighed. 

Putting away the groceries, Gabriel changed the topic. 

"So, where do you work?"

"Oh. I'm a songwriter"

"Really? Do you play piano?"

"Yeah, it's a lot of fun. I love my job, cause back at the towers, I worked as an accountant and it was so boring, so when I came here, I thought that life is too short to waste it, so I caught my dreams and started making songs"

"So in that building yesterday, why were you there?"

"Finances" Tom groaned, "It's part of the team"

"That explains it. Wrong place at the wrong time" 

"Nah. I got to see you" 

Gabriel smiled. "I still remember when I first approached the towers. It was too much of a beautiful place for people to be bored to work at"

"Oh no, you're not wrong. The towers we're gorgeous, and well, I wasn't always alone"

"You had your friends"

"Yeah........" Tom nodded sadly. 

Gabriel remembered when he first met Tom, it still feels like yesterday. 

 

_Gabriel was running around the impact zone, when he was only met with silence, it was completely terrifying. He felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach and he felt like vomiting._

_There seemed to be no survivors. Only when....._

_"HEEEEEELP!"  He heard a scream. Turning to the voice, he rushed over, when the source was barricaded by debris, pulling them away, a wall was taken down and he was able to see enough to find someone inside._

_And that's when he met Tom, shriveled up in a little spot with debris all around him, he was shaking in fear. The young man seemed to be around his age, just starting his life, black curly hair and blue eyes._

_"It's okay, I got you" He lent out a hand, and Tom, with a little hesitation, reached out with his hand, and grabbed him._

_"I got you" He carefully, and slowly pulled him out. He was insanely lucky without any injuries, it seemed that he was in the best spot of the level._

_Tom stood up and took in the scene with horror._

_"JAKE!" He screamed, running after, and Hawkmoth followed him._

_As Tom frantically looked around, he ran to the spot where his friends office is, and found his best, closest partner. Looking down, he had no wast. He had been killed instantly, there was dust on his face and eyes, laying there, almost peacefully._

_Tom burst into tears._

_"I'm so sorry......" Hawkmoth said._

_"I never got to say goodbye......" Tom sobbed through words._

_Gabriel felt deep sympathy for him, but there was no time to grieve, he had to keep moving, and get the man to safety._

_"We have to go. We have to get out of here" He said._

_With a weak sniffle, Tom did his best to put himself together. "Who are you?"_

_"What?"_

_"Why did you save me?"_

_Gabriel looked down a bit. "There is no one that isn't worth saving. I think your friend knows that"_

_Tom nodded. "Are you here to help us?"_

_"Yes......but communications are down, I can't find anyone to help. At this point, no one can reach their loved ones"_

_Hawkmoth watched as Tom got up and looked at him with determination, "Then.....how can I help you?"_

_"I can akumatise you to become a hero, made to achieve the goal...."_

_"I will do it! If people can reach their families.....then....."_

_"Then they can reach out, correct?"_

_Tom nodded._

_"Tell me, what's your name?"_

_"Tom. Thomas Yurazaki"_

_"It's nice to meet you. Are you sure you want to help me?"_

_"I'm sure"_

_"Then........take out your hand"_

 

 

Gabriel came back to reality. 

"Tell me......I'm sorry if this is a sensitive topic but, who was the person you grieved upon when I met you?" He asked. 

Tom choked up and tears sprung to his eyes. 

"I'm sorry...."

"No...." Tom shook his head, "It's.......I don't really talk about him, I don't like thinking about him either. It brings the pain back when he's mentioned"

"Was he a friend of yours?"

"No......well....sadly, he was my romantic partner at the time" 

Gabriel's face dropped. "Oh my god" 

As they shut the fridge, Tom's eyes glistened with tears and he started blinking his eyes, to try and keep them back, but he covered his face and started crying. 

Gabriel put a hand on his shoulder and dismissed Nathalie for a moment, so he could take him to his private quarters where he sat Tom down, and gave him his handkerchief which he gratefully accepted to wipe his tears with. 

"I'm sorry" Tom said. 

"No. Don't you ever be sorry" 

"I just......I thought that he was the one.....and then...he was brutally taken away from me" Tom looked at him with full blown tears and sobbed. 

Gabriel sat down and put a comforting hand on his knee. As Tom cried, his eyes were red and it didn't have a nice look on him. 

"I couldn't bear to live in New York because of him. It was too painful, so I moved away and I didn't want to even....." he couldn't finish. "I thought.......that if he died then he wasn't my destined one" 

Gabriel immediately thought of Emilie. 

"But it's been so long and........" he sniffed, "Well.....he's gone!"

Gabriel frowned as his heart sunk, Tom was a crying mess, and for a moment, he saw himself. 

"He's not gone" he said. 

"Huh?" Tom looked up and Gabriel placed a hand on his chest, "He's right here"

He remembered Emilie telling him the same thing to himself. 

Tom smiled weakly at him, "How do you do it?"

"What?"

"You lost your wife and yet you're still here where the memories are....."

Gabriel thought of the right answer. 

"I guess......it gives you more comfort and helps you grieve so you can recover. But it's hard, though, but it gets better"  

"You mean....it's okay to grieve?" 

"It's a normal process to grieve, so you can let go.....and then be able to look into the future" 

Tom smiled at him. 

"But to be honest, letting go the hardest part" Gabriel added.

"No doubt" 

Tom sighed, hard. 

Gabriel went silent for a moment, before he remembered something. 

"Hey"

"What?"

"Remember, you're not alone"

Tom sniffed again, "Thank you" 

"You're welcome" 

As they both smiled at each other, after a while, they hugged each other, and as they did Tom let out a breath. Gabriel could feel his body relax, he must have suppressed his grief for such a long time, and it was nice to know someone that he could share with. 

He was glad that Chat helped him, and now he could pay it forward for an old friend. And now they could get through this together. 

"And thank you Tom"

"For what? I didn't do anything" 

"No, for being my friend" 

Tom shut his eyes and embraced the hug. 

"You're welcome" Tom whispered. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Erm, sorry about that, if you have read this chapter, you may have noticed that it was edited over and over, I accidentally pressed the publish button too early when I was making this chapter. Oh well, lesson learned.


	19. Day 25

_"Emilie" Gabriel whispered his wife's name as he saw her again in his dreams._ _"Gabe" she came over and let him hug her._  
_"I can see that the pain is dying down" she said_. _"Well.....baby steps sweetheart, how are you?"_  
_"Better now that you're here" she smiled up at him, and Gabriel smiled sweetly back at her._  
_"So.....in the future....." She started, "Would there be someone else in your life?"_  
_"Erm.....what do you mean? You mean Tom?" Gabriel frowned, what is she getting at._  
_"I mean, your love life, I've lived mine, what about yours?" She asked like it was a normal question._  
_"Emilie....? I'm not sure what you mean....."_  
_"I'm wondering if you have some extra space in your heart for a special person in your life!" She giggled, surprised at his obliviousness._  
_"But honey, you are my life"_  
_"Dear. I'll always be with you, but, surely, on your end, there must be someone out there for you"_  
_Gabriel frowned. "I......I don't....."_  
_"What about Nathalie? I know that she had been secretly crushing on yosu for a while. And she's my best friend, when I was around, she told me personally that it was a little painful. Maybe you can work something out"_  
_"Nathalie? Emilie, what are you on about?"_  
_Slowly, Emilies image shifted into Nathalie, and now he was holding his assistant, not his wife._  
_"Gabriel. Who's your next adventure?" She spoke sweetly._

"WAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" Gabriel shot awake from bed. And the first thing he saw was his assistant standing by his bed.  
"Sir" Nathalie spoke and Gabriel jerked back again in surprise.  
"AAAAH!!!" He screamed, and then he switched himself back on, taking a few breaths with a hand on his chest, "Na.....Nathalie.....are you trying to kill me?!"  
Nathalie suppressed a giggle, her face twisting.  
Gabriel took in his surroundings and saw Plagg sitting beside him, cackling at his face, pointing paws.  
Gabriel grabbed his own pillow and used it to silence the kwami. Hearing muffles of complaint.  
"Nathalie......" He looked at his clock, squinting his eyes, it was nine am and Saturday.  
"Good morning.......I guess" he muttered before yawning, "I had this.....nightmare....."  
"No wonder Gabriel. It's breakfast, Adrien is waiting for you"  
"Thank you. I'll be right over"  
As Nathalie left the room, Plagg was still muffling under the pillow, so he took it off to release the kwami.  
Plagg gasped for air, "Why did you do that for?!"  
"You could have just morphed out of there oh great god of destruction?"  
Plagg growled at him. "Don't test me"  
"Alright I won't. Coming for breakfast?"  
"Always!"

When Gabriel got to the table for breakfast, Nooroo was already there with Adrien, and Plagg joined them.  
"I'm ready for my cheeeese!!" Plagg said.  
"You always are Plagg" Adrien rolled his eyes.

"We have to start packing today, since we will be leaving in the morning, our plane departs at eight, we will get to New York by ten o' clock in American time" Gabriel said as he picked up his utensils and started eating breakfast. 

"Wow. That's actually not so bad, I thought we could get jet lag" Adrien replied in surprise. 

"Possibly, since that we will be doing nothing besides watching movies during the entire flight"

"There will be breakfast served, Adrien" Nathalie added. 

"Is there any Camembert?" Plagg asked. 

 "We will be in first class Plagg, I think there might be some" 

"There better"

"Plagg, manners" Gabriel gave the kwami an offending frown. 

"Ah. Erm, sorry....." Plagg ground his teeth together as he apologised. 

"Today, we will be moving around, getting ready for tomorrow, we are going to sleep early tonight"

"Er, Father, could Marinette stay the night so it makes it easier both for her and us tomorrow?" Adrien asked. 

As Gabriel rose an eyebrow at him, he noticed that Adrien politely addresses him as 'Father' when he's nervous. He didn't want him to feel that way but then again, it came to his attention that Adrien wants to invite a girl over. 

"She can come, and stay with us tonight, if she would like to and her parents approve" 

"REally?!" 

"But if you two decide to do any chemistry studies and or test the physics of the bed mattress-" Adrien turned red in the face and became flustered, "NO! That's not my reason for inviting her over!!!" His hands flailed about, "I just want to spend time with her, you see, she invited me over to her room once, and I want to do the same!" He quickly explained. 

Gabriel laughed, "Don't take me so seriously, I was only joking!" 

Adrien puffed out of his nose in annoyance. 

Nathalie smirked. 

"That was not funny!" 

"It's okay Adrien, we can put out some sleeping bags in the lounge room for tonight, and plenty of pillows and blankets to keep us warm"

Adrien's pouty mood changed, "Thanks Dad!"

"You did hear that I said 'us' right? Nathalie is staying overnight and I am going to supervise"

"Oh"

"Yes, oh. I will be sleeping on the couch, to supervise any raging hormones"

Adrien puffed his cheeks. "You don't trust me?"

"Hormones have a mind of their own, I trust you but not them, or Marinette's"

Adrien almost choked, "D-d-d-dad!" he flustered. 

"Females mature faster than boys, Adrien, she'll be worse than you" Gabriel eyed Plagg as the kwami's eyes sparkled, licking his lips as he eyed his cheese. 

"Wait" he stopped the kwami, before grabbing a small sauce boat that was full of melted camembert, Plagg eyed the gooey stuff as Gabriel poured the nice hot stuff over his wheel of cheese. "A happy kwami is a better kwami" he said. 

Plagg rubbed his paws together, "Yuuuuuummmm!!!"

"What do you say?" Gabriel asked. 

"Thank yoooooouuuuuu!!!!" 

Adrien winced at the smell as Plagg gobbled up the cheese happily. 

"Well, at least I get grape pudding" Nooroo said.

"I don't know if you're better or worse Dad" 

Gabriel glanced at his son, "Either way, you're getting supervised so I can protect your girlfriends womb and prevent the Dupain-Chengs from digging my grave, if she stays the night, then she comes into my supervision and my responsibility, so I intend to treat her like my own" 

"Er.......good point" Adrien then decided to keep his mouth shut. 

"Just saying......things can transpire quickly but I trust that you will be a good boyfriend to her"

Adrien smiled to himself as he rubbed his neck. 

Gabriel rose an eye at that, hmm......has he seen that motion before....?

He called Sabine after breakfast, and they agreed to let Marinette stay over for the night. 

"We will pick up Marinette at five o' clock" Gabriel stepped by Adrien's room.

"Thanks! Will we pick her up?"

"We will" 

Adrien's face lit up. 

 

"Alya! Guess what?!" Marinette squealed into her phone after video calling her. 

"What is it girl? I bet it's about Adrien" Alya teased. 

"He's invited me over to his place tonight! I'm sleeping over!"

"Oooooh, you get to sleep with Adrieeeen~" 

"Zip the lips Alya" Marinette groaned, "We've only been dating for a week, besides, Mr Agreste is supervising"

So you get to see two Agreste men in their pajamas"

Marinette stuck out her tongue and made a noise, "Leave Mr Agreste out of it Alya!" 

Alya giggled in reply, "The image seems bad doesn't it?" 

"Adrien doesn't tell me anything, but I don't wanna know" 

Her friend let out a laugh. 

"You're awful" Marinette groaned. 

"You better get packing girl, you have a wonderful time!"

"Thanks Alya, I'm going to make the most of it" 

She ended the call and started packing right away, as she started collecting the right clothes and checking the weather in New York, walking around her room, she noticed Tikki making something at her sewing desk. 

"Tikki? What are you doing?" She asked, holding a few t shirts in her hands. 

"I'm making some roses, out of paper" the little kwami explained, "I wanted to make something for the victims so when we go to the memorial, I can show my sympathy"

"Aw Tikki, that's so nice of you!" 

"Have you made anything?" Tikki asked. 

"Well.......I heard that children were killed in the attacks as well, so I thought to make a teddy bear, and an American flag"

"That's thoughtful Marinette" 

Marinette smiled sweetly at her kwami, before proceeding to pack, "I can get you a box so we can safely pack your roses"

"Thanks!" 

 

Gabriel was in his walk in closet picking out his things to pack, he put in mind to pack Nooroo's sweater which he was glad for, on the other hand, Emilie's things were right beside his own. 

_"What was she talking about, Nathalie having feelings for me....?"_

"Sir" Nathalie spoke. 

"Yes Nathalie?" 

"I have brought out the suitcases for you and Adrien"

"What about you, have you packed?"

"I finished last night, my suitcase is at the door" 

"Ah. Well......go home, get changed out of your work clothes and come back, not to work, but as a guest"

"Alright sir. I'll see you later"

As she turned around to leave, Gabriel focused on her facial expressions but there was no inch of sympathy or happiness. 

He knew that Emilie is really open, but Nathalie is just confusing.....

While she is temporarily away, he went over to Adrien's room, leaving his bed with half the things he needs. 

"Son? Can I have a word?" He asked. 

"Dad. If this is about my hormones...."

"No no, it's not about that. It's for me"

Adrien perked up in interest, "Oh?" He stopped packing his suitcase, "What is it?"

"Okay, this is going to sound a little weird but, do you have any clues on whether Nathalie has a love interest or not?"

Adrien snorted on that question, "What? Come on, Dad, if I didn't notice that Marinette had a crush on me, I certainly don't notice anything through Nathalie's calm and collected emotions"

"Ah, good point. You're the wrong person to ask"

"Try Marinette, I asked her for love advice once, she'll know"

"You're kidding me right?"

"Why are you asking in the first place anyway?" 

Gabriel sighed admittedly, "Emilie told me that Nathalie has feelings for me"

Adrien stopped in his step, "What?"

"I dream about your Mother, she talks to me, tells me things"

"Should I be worried?" 

"No. It's Nathalie I'm more worried about, if she does have feelings for me, then what do I do?"

Adrien sighed, "Wow, you're in a pickle, how did Mum go about it?"

"It was a weird dream, she babbled on about my next partner like it was a good and normal thing"

Adrien frowned at his Father. 

_"It was weird........"_ He thought. 

"You know what, maybe it was a stupid dream, I shouldn't worry my head over it" He said, dismissing the matter. 

 "But Dad, if she is hurting a little....you should at least ask her, she's been with us ever since I was born"

Gabriel frowned at the fact. "Hmm.....maybe I should. Thank you Adrien"

"No problem Dad"

Before he left, Adrien stopped him, "Dad"

"Hmm?"

"Erm.......take care of her, if she keeps herself from feeling, then she might be fragile"

"I will, I have a wife, I don't want to make her feel worse"

Adrien smiled at him before he left. 

 

Gabriel grabbed his suitcase and got to work, placing his clothes that he picked out, in the suitcase before moving on to packing his toiletries. 

"Gabriel?" Nooroo asked. 

"Yes?" 

"Are you worried about Nathalie?"

"I'm worried that I might be hurting her without having to do anything intentionally"

"How are you going to go about it?"

"I have no idea, I could talk to her but......maybe I'll ask google"

He got out his phone and wrote out his question. 

What he finds next is eye raising. 

_"How to know if your boss may secretly fancy you? Excuse me? That happens???"_

He scrolled down and clicked on a link, taking a look at the signs, he thought of an idea. 

"Maybe.....I could try and analyse Nathalie's hidden signs, and try and show some myself, if she reacts then...."

_"This is risky"_ He thought.

 

When Nathalie came back, he was still packing. 

"Gabriel?" she spoke up. 

When Gabriel got up from his suitcase to see Nathalie, his hairs on his arms immediately raised. 

_"Sign one, showing off the breasts. She's wearing a dress!"_

Nathalie wore a knee level dress, and her hair is down, along with smaller and nicer glasses and ballerina shoes.

"Stop gaping" She said, and Gabriel's jaw snapped back together. 

"Sorry, you look very nice" he said. 

"Thank you"

_"Stick to the plan Gabriel, I know she looks attractive, but don't get your knickers in a twist!"_

Gabriel proceeded to swallow his pride and fix himself up a little, smoothing up his hair, and fixing up his scarf. 

"Welcome back, I'm almost done, could you help me squeeze this in?"

"Sure" She said and Gabriel closed the suitcase before pushing it down, he grabbed a zip and he struggled to get it around before Nathalie jumped up onto the case, squashing it down. 

"This happens all the time when you leave for New york, what the hell do you pack in there?" She asked.

Gabriel grunted as he pushed the case down and started zipping it up with great effort, "Gifts, for the victims families that I met"

"You mean the ones that you gave their loved ones wallets back to?"

"Yes. Those people"

"You never told me"

"I never brought you along before, so of course you don't. But, it looks like you'll find out"

"What do you usually give them?"

Gabriel paused for a moment before answering, "Fruitcake"

"Really? Overseas?"

"Sealed, and valid for overseas trips, they're labeled and the airport is notified"

"Where do you get them? The airport?"

"No........I make them" He confessed. 

"You bake?!" Nathalie's eyebrows rose above her fringe. 

"Emilie taught me" 

Nathalie was surprised and Gabriel smirked at her, "What? You think a man can't bake?" 

"You can already sew, I know for a fact that you have good hands, I shouldn't be surprised" 

Gabriel quirked a smile at that fact before he finally got his suitcase zipped up. 

"Got it" 

Nathalie got off the suitcase. 

"Thanks for that"

"You're welcome" 

"Are you going to dress casually?" 

"Me? Out of my clothes?"

"They're business clothes Gabriel, at least dress casually for the vacation days, you did pack a work suit right?"

"Yes.....my grey and purple one, you really think I should change into something nice?"

"Go ahead. You're a fashion designer, I'm sure you'll know how to dress well"

Gabriel went back inside his closet to change. 

He came back out wearing a long sleeved t shirt, jeans and casual vans shoes, it was a bit of a shock to Nathalie, now that it sunk in. And he wore no glasses, she assumed that they were replaced with contacts. 

"So?" He asked. 

"Er........handsome"

"Sorry?"

Nathalie coughed, catching herself, "I said- clean, you look very relaxed"

_"Wait a minute, did she say handsome?"_

Nathalie watched as Gabriel's eyes were a little surprised. "You caught that"

"Emilie used to call me that, I don't blame you and my son is cute"

Nathalie rolled her eyes. "Obviously"

"It must be in our blood to be attractive, apparently"

Gabriel watched her, but she only smiled, "Very" She admitted. 

_"Wow, she's slick about it"_

"Then I don't need to hold back about how beautiful you look, you should wear dresses rather than wear pants, they fit you"

"Ah" Nathalie blushed, "Thank you" 

"Do you mind......if I try something with your hair?"

"Erm.....sure...."

Gabriel went behind her and started french braiding her from the back of her head, going up, leaving her fringe nice and loose when he gathered it up to the rest of her hair. 

Nathalie liked his fingers, they felt nice in his hair, she had to hold back her hum. For a moment, she was going to like this trip. She closed her eyes as Gabriel got a hairband to put her hair in a bun on the top of her head. 

"There" 

She went off to the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. 

"Oh wow" She said softly, "The hairstyle change looks really good on me" she turned a bit, and she noticed the back braids, "You braided me"

"It looks much better on you" Gabriel said from the closet. 

"Thank you. If only if I could braid myself backwards"

"Yeah"

"I could just bun it by itself like this without the braid"

"It'll look good on you like that anyway. Now, shall we get my suitcase to the front door?"

"Sure. We may as well get it ready" She came out of the bathroom as Gabriel picked up his suitcase and started rolling it out. 

 

When they got there, they met with Adrien. 

"Hey- whoa!" Adrien retreated back as he saw them, "Dad, you're......in casual clothes?!" 

"Yes, do I look okay?" 

"Wow, I didn't realise how many layers of clothing you actually wore....." 

Gabriel rose an eye, "Wait, is that a compliment?"

"No, you're just showing a bit more of your chest. Inner layers I guess. But you look beautiful Nathalie"

"Thank you Adrien"

Gabriel was confused. He looked down at himself, maybe he is showing more of the outlines of his chest.....

They put their suitcases next to Nathalie's. 

"All done" Gabriel said. 

"I should have got you to wear something ridiculous as a dare yesterday" Adrien said. 

Nathalie openly giggled at the thought and Gabriel frowned at her. 

"For the record, I'm glad you didn't, and plus, you're innocent enough to not dare me to wear the worst stuff in the world"

Adrien rose an eye, "What are worse than feather hats?"

Nathalie and Gabriel looked at each other. 

"Not telling" They both said in unison. 

They turned around and started moving away from him, as fast as possible. 

"Wait! Is there something I don't know about?!" Adrien called after him. 

"I know you two are best friends but I'm sure that he doesn't want to know your kinks" Nathalie whispered. 

"That was an accident, I told you not to speak a word of it" Gabriel sighed. 

"Let me guess" Adrien started. 

"Oh ho~" Nathalie teased. 

They scattered about but Adrien started chasing after them. 

"Cowboy position?" Adrien called. 

"What on earth-" Gabriel started. 

Nathalie giggled loudly. "He's been curious!"

"From behind??"

"I'm not that gay!" Gabriel's voice echoed through the mansion. 

"Waterplay?"

"ADRIEN!!"

Nathalie burst out laughing. 

"Chest sensitivity?" 

"NO!"

"Wait-" Adrien stopped as he got in front of his Dad. "Ropes"

Gabriel blushed. 

"So you and Mum like to play and Nathalie caught you when the bedroom door was unlocked, and you couldn't do anything because you were tied up" 

"That's exactly what happened" Nathalie confessed and Gabriel crossed his arms, "Natalie!" 

Adrien grinned widely, "Nice Dad"

"Shut up" Gabriel pressed his lips together. "It only happened once"

"Aw, you don't need to be so shy about it, by the time I'm sixteen, we will be drinking together and talking about our girlfriends"

"You little rascal....."

"You love me" Adrien teased. 

Gabriel growled silently to himself, "Lunch, Adrien, let's go and eat" He turned around. 

"You're avoiding the topic"

"Exactly!"

 

After lunch, they decided to go for a run around transformed, it was nice to get some air before they go and pick Marinette up. 

Once they arrived at the bakery with the car parked up the front, Marinette was standing next to her Mother excitedly, "Adrien!" 

"Mari!" Adrien greeted and they both went into a big hug. Gabriel stepped in, "Hello"

Sabine came over and gave Gabriel a kiss on the cheek, Gabriel did the same, "Hello dear, you are dressed quiet well, it makes you look very clean"

"Thank you, how are you and Tom?"

"Very well, thank you Gabriel" Tom said as he took off his apron, dusting flour off his hands. 

"Thank you for letting me stay the night" Marinette said. 

"You're welcome Marinette, I'm sure that you are aware, that once you step into my supervision, you are to follow my rules while I will treat you as my own" He put a hand on her shoulder, "Yes sir" She said, looking up at him. 

"When she is in my care, I will look after her for you" He said to Sabine and Tom. 

"We trust you" 

"We also have Nathalie coming with us as well, so we have another female around to make her comfortable"

"Thank you, we made sure she packed everything she needs"

Sabine brought forward her suitcase, "Here, she will need help with that"

"I'll get it" Adrien went over and grabbed it. "But Adrien you don't need to-"

"What gentleman am I if I don't carry things for my girlfriend?" Adrien said. 

Marinette blushed. 

"That's my boy" Gabriel ruffled his sons hair.

"You have fun sweetie" Sabine and Tom came over and hugged their daughter. 

"I love you too Maman, Papa" She hugged them and they exchanged kisses. 

"We love you, stay safe" They had a group hug, before she went over to Adrien's side. 

"Don't mess around!" Sabine added. 

"Mum!" Marinette squeaked. 

"Don't worry, Dad gave me the same treatment" Adrien replied, almost rolling his eyes. 

Sabine giggled, before they waved goodbye as the three went out with her and her suitcase. 

"Love you!" Marinette called out. 

They approached the car, loaded the suitcase in the back and jumped inside. 

 

The two teenagers cheered, they grabbed each other and shook themselves in excitement. 

"I thought this was coming" Gabriel said, chuckling. 

The young couple hugged each other. 

"Kitty"

"Bugaboo" 

"I can't believe this is happening!" Marinette started bouncing up and down. Adrien laughed. 

"Don't bounce around too much, we don't want to disrupt the driver"

"Ah, sorry" Marinette seated herself properly but they continued to grin like kids. 

Once they got back to the mansion, Adrien got Marinette's suitcase aside next to their own. 

"We are all ready Marinette, I have your passport on hand, we just need to pack a backpack" Gabriel said. 

"Ah. Do you guys have one?" Marinette asked. 

"Let's take a look in Dad's room" Adrien suggested.

"I think I may have some. Come along" Gabriel motioned for them to follow and they went up the stairs and into his private quarters. 

"Uh, is this okay?" Marinette asked nervously, "I don't want to intrude"

"Of course, please" 

"Okay" Marinette breathed. 

_"Of course she would be nervous, you're her inspiration and role model"_ Gabriel thought. 

They entered Gabriel's bedroom and headed for the closet. 

"Probably in the upper areas" Gabriel assumed as he looked up. 

Tikki came out, "Can I?"

"Please" 

Tikki went up, and after a few seconds, she came back down again. "There is one, right at the top"

"Thank you, son, can you get up on my shoulders? It's pretty high up there"

"Sure Dad, I can do it"

"Be careful" Marinette cautioned. 

Gabriel leaned down and let Adrien put his legs over him, grabbing a hold of his legs, he hauled him up with effort. 

"You're heavy......" Gabriel groaned. 

"Thanks" Adrien said before rummaging through some things, before he touched a bag and pulled it out amongst some baggage. "Got it!" 

"Getting you down" Gabriel let him know before lowering him down and Adrien got off. 

"Are you okay?" Tikki asked. 

"I'm fine. I'm good" 

"You can run wild around here, though we will have to give Nathalie a heads up" Adrien informed Tikki. 

"Thanks" the spotted kwami smiled. 

Plagg and Nooroo finally came out as well to greet Tikki.

"Time for a long and exhausting trip, I may as well sleep the whole way" Plagg said. 

"How long?" Marinette asked. 

"Seven hours"

"I thought we were leaving at eight and arriving at ten"

"I used french and New York time Adrien, it's actually seven hours" 

Plagg groaned loudly. 

"Well, at least we will be comfortable" Nooroo said. 

"Come on, let's put everything we need in the bag"

Gabriel put in all of their passports, travel arrangements on paper inside just in case if anything goes wrong before addressing personal needs.

"Sun cream? Just in case" 

Adrien got the sun cream and gave it to him. 

"We already got toiletries for the hotel, so what do we need on hand?" 

"Er......" Marinette knew what she needed but she didn't know if it was okay to say it out loud. 

"I think what Marinette is trying to say is that she needs some ladies things" Adrien said. 

"Oh! I still have some left" Gabriel went inside the closet, leaving Adrien amused. 

"It's probably what Mom left behind" he said and Marinette understood before Gabriel came back. 

"Pack of pads, tampons for swimming, just in case, pain medication and, a heat pack" 

"That's so generous.....thank you" Marinette blushed as she watched Gabriel pack those in the bag. 

"What about water?" Tikki asked. 

"We can't bring water with us on the plane, it's not allowed" Gabriel replied. 

"Aww...."

"We can have a drink at the airport"

"Some hot cocoa maybe, we can share Tikki" Marinette said, her kwami nodding eagerly. 

"We'll bring some Camembert too" Adrien added. 

"We have entertainment on the plane......ah, one more thing" 

Gabriel went back into the closet again to bring out a folder and a box, gift wrapped. "For you two"

"Oh?" Marinette eyed the box as Gabriel gave the young couple the folder first, opening it up, they noticed that it was an album that you can fill out.

"Here. Open it" Gabriel then gave them the box and they opened it together. Instantly, Adrien recognised the box inside the wrapping.

"Oh Marinette! Mum and Dad had this same camera! They used it to capture their memories together, they have so many albums!"Adrien said. 

"Really? It doesn't look like a camera....."

"It's an old sort but it's a modern type, see? You slot in a small film and you can take pictures, take them out and put them in a folder like this"

"That's so handy! Thank you Gabriel!"

"You're welcome" Gabriel smiled warmly at them. "Use it well"

"Marinette, shall we take our first one?" Adrien suggested as he got the new camera out of it's box, he put in a new film and his girlfriend moved right next to him, both smiling, they took a picture and the film came out. 

Adrien grabbed it, fanned it out and their first picture came into view. 

"Wooooow!" Marinette was in awe, she looked at it and smiled. Kissing her boyfriend on the cheek, they put the photo in place in their album. 

Adrien beamed, this is their story and they were able to record it in an album like this. He looked at his Dad, Gabriel smiling at him with a certain glimmer in his eyes. He was proud. 

"Thank you Dad" he said before wrapping his arms around him. 

"Thank you" Marinette joined in, to Gabriel's surprise. He patted them both on the back, "It's my pleasure" He replied. 

As the two retreated, Gabriel got out something else, "Here, a French to English dictionary, for your travels Marinette" He handed it to her. 

"Thank you, though I will also need your help"

"Oh! Let's not forget" Tikki remembered, "The security check, we have to take our jewellery off!"

Marinette gasped, "Of course! What do we have to do? We might have to take them off......"

Adrien grumbled, "They out in the open, even if we don't security might ask us to take them off"

"I prepared something for this" Gabriel said, he went and got something from the closet. He showed them a box, with a lock on it. 

"I got this for us, so we can put our miraculous in, lock it and safely put it in our bag. So when we go through checks, we can just put down our bag on a tray, with our miraculous along with it, we don't have to take them off separately, just safely lock them in"

"And we don't show up on scans, I like your idea" Nooroo nodded. 

Tikki hummed in agreement and Marinette sighed in relief. "That's a great idea, before we go in, we can just do that"

"Good thinking Dad"

"I'll put it in" Gabriel put the box inside along with Marinette's dictionary, he zipped it up. "I think that's all we need"

"Brilliant" Adrien smiled. 

"Also, I know that you have a leather jacket" Gabriel said to Adrien before looking at Marinette, "Do you have one?"

"I got a hoodie in my suitcase.....but nothing fashionable yet"

"If I remember right, I gave Chat Noir some leather fabrics to give you"

"Oh I never got to thank you! I am still working on a project at home with them"

"Okay, I have one for you....." Gabriel went back into his closet, Adrien gave Marinette a surprised look as he didn't know that he had one for her. 

Gabriel came back out......with a ladybug themed leather jacket. 

"Oh my gosh!" Marinette squeaked as she saw it, Gabriel unravelled the jacket and showed it to her, "It's amazing!" 

Tikki gasped in complete awe, and so did Adrien. 

"I made this for you just in case" Gabriel said before helping her put it on. 

"It really suits you!" Tikki commented. 

"Thank you Gabriel!" Marinette said, "It's perfect!" she felt completely snug in it. 

Gabriel smiled at her, "Now you're ready to go, let's get this bag over to our suitcases"

"Don't forget your access card" Nathalie called out, three heads went up before Nathalie came in, holding something in her hands. 

"Here" She extended her hand and Gabriel saw his access card, bearing the same logo of the twin towers, with the registration date. Instantly Gabriel faltered, he could smell it, and it had a presence in itself, an aura. He extended his hand, and with hesitation, he took it. 

He let out a breath that he didn't know that he was holding. 

"Why on earth don't I replace the darn thing?" He said, almost scoffing as he felt the card in his hand. 

"You know very well why" Nathalie replied, "You can rant about it later at the meeting"

Nooroo looked up at him and brushed his cheek against his. 

"Can I......look at it?" Adrien asked. 

"Sure" Gabriel gave the card to Adrien and the two leaned in to take a look at it. 

"Whoa......." Adrien took a breath, "It's like a piece of the twin towers, the final remains....."

"And it has the date, nine eleven" Marinette added. 

"It gives me chills" Adrien shuddered. 

"It gives everyone the chills" Gabriel said, taking the card back, pocketing it. 

They went ahead and put their bag next to their suitcases. 

"Now, let's set up some sleeping bags, pillows and blankets for the night. Nathalie, do we have any in the main closet?" 

"We do"

"Come on, let's go and get some"

Gabriel took them down to the library and then down the hall was a storage room where they got their hands full with pillows, sleeping bags and the thickest, fluffiest, warmest blankets they could find.

Carrying everything down to the lounge room, they set up camp. 

Adrien flopped onto his sleeping bag, "Aaaah.....this is cosy...." 

Marinette giggled as she looked down at her boyfriend, Adrien looked up at her and tickled her leg. 

"Hey!" She squeaked, "No!" She giggled but Adrien did it again, "Aaah!" 

"Ticklish aren't ya?"

"Well- yes- erm- eep!"  Adrien got up and started a tickle fight, and Marinette burst into giggles. 

Gabriel rolled his eyes smugly at them. 

Marinette attacked Adrien, and then Adrien was laughing. 

"Okay okay okay, stop!" Adrien had to catch his breath. 

"We have plenty of movies, what would you like to watch?" Gabriel asked as he went to the TV and pulled out a few blu ray movies.

"Let me see...." Marinette came over and started going through them.

Adrien came over and they chose a few movies for the night. 

"The chef has prepared dinner" Nathalie came in.

"Come on you two, let's eat" Gabriel patted Adrien's shoulder and his son went ahead and lead Marinette forwards the dining room.

"Thank you Nathalie" 

Dinner was silent, but Marinette was amazed at the presentation of the food, Gabriel caught his son grinning at her reactions as she tasted it, making pleased noises every now and then before noticing Gabriel's amused face and apologising. 

"No need to, it tells the chef that you're enjoying it, Dad knows how to slurp up a spaghetti pretty well" Adrien said. 

Marinette looked at Gabriel in surprise. 

"Well. I have my moments"

"He burps pretty badly though" Nooroo added. -"Hey!" Gabriel exclaimed offensively.

Marinette giggled. 

"He's not wrong" Plagg said as he munched on his camembert. 

"Well, thank you for the delicacies Gabriel" Tikki said before having a bit of mud cake. "This is delicious"

"My pleasure Tikki"

"It's so nice to eat with everyone including our kwami's, I don't get to do this" Marinette said. 

Gabriel noticed Nathalie's wide eyes. 

"Nath.....?"

"Gabriel, you should have told me this!" She said offensively, "Just when did you get friendly with both Chat Noir AND Ladybug?"

"There's been a truce" Marinette explained. 

Nathalie sighed admittedly, "I'm done, really. This is so weird" She poked at her food. 

"Well, it isn't bad" Gabriel said.

"Yeah....it isn't bad" Nathalie smiled at her boss as he smiled at her. 

 

After dinner, they all got dressed in their pyjamas, as Nathalie excused herself to the guest room for the night which left Gabriel to supervise.  

"Everybody cosy?" Gabriel asked as he came in, he made sure to put a shirt on and not come in with a bare chest. He also replaced his contact lenses with his glasses. 

"Yeah!" Marinette said, her voice half squeaked. Adrien chuckled at her, she was seeing Gabriel in his pyjamas after all.

And then she looked at Adrien who wiggled his eyebrows, blushing, she just moved her head away.

"Okay, I take it back, you two are way too innocent for anything further" Gabriel chuckled. 

"Dad!" Adrien exclaimed. "She was just admiring my good looks"

"Yeah right, you dork" Marinette pushed him away playfully. 

Gabriel seated himself by Adrien and pulled out one of their chosen movies, "I was once a shy and reserved young man, who had no idea how to talk to women. When I became friends with Emilie, suddenly people noticed me and started getting all smitten" He grinned at the memory. 

"That's hard to believe, were you handsome?"

"What? You don't think I am now?"

"Dad I'm kidding" Adrien rolled his eyes. 

Gabriel smirked, "You do?"

Adrien flushed, "I DON'T MEAN IT IN THE WRONG WAY!"

Gabriel laughed, surprising Marinette, her eyes went wide in awe, "I'm just teasing"

"When I first saw your face, I thought you were very ambitious" Marinette said. 

"Wow" Adrien looked at Marinette in surprise but mocked offense, "That hurts"

"Not you Adrien, your Dad, you are just adorable"

"You're right, I am ambitious"

"Not anymore" Adrien said.

"Yeaaaah.....but not as much"

"But you hated me when we first met" Adrien recalled. 

"Oh?" Gabriel was surprised. 

"I thought he was a friend of Chloe, she framed him and I thought that he was trying to pull a stupid prank on me" 

"Yeah, we didn't have a good start"

"And then he gave me his umbrella that same day, and I fell in love" 

Adrien smiled at Marinette. 

"What a lovely story"

Gabriel watched as Marinette leaned onto Adrien's shoulder, they seemed so smitten with each other. Eventually, they were in each others arms when they started watching a movie. 

They watched Big Hero 6, which was something that he could relate to, only that, seeing Adrien hold Marinette, made his heart drop. Because he knew very well, that Emilie would have also joined him. 

_"Don't cry Gabriel....."_ He reminded himself,  _"I know you miss her, I know you're lonely and your heart is broken"_

Nooroo looked up at him in worry but he assured him that he was fine. 

He got himself to focus on the movie. 

It was eight o clock by the time when they finished their second movie, Cinderella, it was cringey but, a classic. 

"Bed time you two" He declared as he switched the TV off, "We have a big day tomorrow" 

"Aw" Tikki said, sad that it was time so soon. 

"You too Tikki" 

"Well, goodnight Adrien" Marinette pecked a kiss on Adrien's cheek, he brightened, "Goodnight Marinette" he kissed her back. 

"Goodnight Gabriel" Marinette gave him a short wave before tucking herself in under the blankets. 

"Goodnight Dad" Adrien came over and gave his Dad a kiss on the cheek before hugging him. Gabriel wrapped his arms around him, grateful for the human interaction, he felt like he needed a hug. 

"I love you Adrien, goodnight" Gabriel kissed his son on the forehead. 

"You sure you don't need company?"

"No, you be with Marinette, besides, you're just a few feet away"

"Okay" Adrien nodded, before retreating back to Marinette so he can snuggle in with her, much to their delight. 

Gabriel set away his glasses, tucked himself in and Plagg turned off the light. 

"Goodnight you three" He said. 

"Goodnight Tikki", "Goodnight Plagg" the two teenagers said. 

"Psst, come on" Nooroo encouraged the two other kwami with him and they decided to sleep right next to Gabriel. 

"Aw you three"

"I thought you would like the company" Nooroo said. 

"Thank you, goodnight"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

..

.....

......

 

"Psst, hey Marinette?"

"Yeah?"

"You look cute with your hair down"

Marinette giggled, "Thank you~"

"SLEEP!" Gabriel barked and the two flinched. 

 

 

 

...

 

..

"Goodnight then Marinette"

"Goodnight Adrien"

 

 

 


	20. Day 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just to let you know, there will be three languages for their trip, they will be like this:
> 
> Japanese = Underlined  
> French = None, just normal text  
> English = Bold

"Hmmm......Marinette....." Adrien mumbled happily in his sleep.

"You've got to be kidding me" Gabriel grumbled.

Adrien smiled smugly and did kisses in his sleep, Gabriel just sighed.

Lifting the sheets, he noticed that there was no morning wood, before throwing them off.

"MORNING!!!" He bellowed.

The couple flinched as they awoke.

"Urrrghhh......" Marinette moaned.

"What time is iiiiiiit......"

They rubbed their eyes.

Adrien opened one eye, "It's still dark out"

"Wake up sleeping beauty" Gabriel said. "And you too, Marinette"

Plagg let out a huge annoying moan.

Adrien groaned.

**"Start using English Adrien, it'll be for your own good, starting up your brain for one thing"**

**"Noooooww??"**

**"Yes, now"**

"What did you just say? That was too fast to even process" Marinette was now awake.

"They're speaking English" Tikki said, rubbing her eyes.

"Manadrin, English and French, yay me...." Adrien sighed.

"They're three main languages of the world Adrien, China is huge, English is international but French is the only language you can use here cause we don't speak English"

"You're right, now get up" Gabriel said. "Don't make me pick you up"

Adrien unlocked his phone and took a look at the time, "Five?" 

Marinette groaned. "But you're so warm and cuddlyyyy!" 

"Come on, you heard the man" Nooroo said. 

Groggily, they got up and went into separate rooms to get dressed, once they came out, Gabriel and Nathalie were already in full clothes, packing up their pillows, blankets and doonas. 

They both helped, the sooner they get on the plane, the sooner they can catch up on their sleep. 

"Water before we go?" Gabriel asked. 

"Sure, why not?" Marinette said. 

"Camembert first" Plagg demanded groggily. 

"Camembert later, at the airport" 

Plagg whined loudly. 

They went to the kitchen to gave a glass of water, Gabriel activated the security so the house was safe before they grabbed their suitcases and bag when they left. Once they got their suitcases in the back, they hopped in the car, thirty seconds later, Marinette and Adrien fell asleep on each other. 

Gabriel had to wake them up once they got there. 

"Okay, time to put our miraculous in the safe" Gabriel announced. 

"Oh!" Marinette piped up and she took off her earrings while Gabriel got out the box, he opened it up and she placed them inside, Adrien put his ring in, Gabriel took his brooch off his belt and put it in as well, their kwamis became dominant. 

Gabriel locked it up and put it back in their bag, zipping it up, they got in line for checking their suitcases in.

Marinette and Adrien had never been overseas before so this was new to them, once they checked their bags in, Gabriel gave them their passports while Nathalie already had hers on hand. 

They queued the line for the first security check, then they had to go to another one so they can be questioned for their visit, scan their passports and go in. 

"That was new" Marinette said.

"The security check seemed to be okay, except for the line" 

"I saw you sweating Nathalie" Gabriel said. 

"I was worried okay, I couldn't bear the thought of either of you getting caught" Nathalie almost mumbled. 

"Here" Gabriel got the box back out and unlocked it, "We're in the clear"

"Thanks" Marinette and Adrien put their miraculouses back on and their kwami went back to normal. 

Gabriel put on his, "Now, we have two hours, who wants a nice cup of cocoa?"

Marinette politely put her hand up. 

"And cheese for Plagg, maybe we can speak in some stuff for our kwami" 

"Ah, before I forget, Marinette, you must address me as Arthur in public, Adrien as Heath, and Nathalie as Charlotte" 

"Why?"

"We don't want any crazy fans, our tickets are also listed with a fake name"

"Ah. Okay, Arthur, Heath and Charlotte, I heard you loud and clear" 

"Good, only in private, can you address us by our real names"

Marinette nodded. 

"Shall I get you some coffee?" Nathalie asked. 

"Erm......"

"I'm not asking you out on a date sir, I'm sure you would like to avoid the ladies at the register ogling you" 

"Ooh la la~" Adrien teased, nudging him in the side. Gabriel scoffed, "Alright, what do you guys want?"

"Cocoa, and Adrien?" 

"Iced tea please"

"Flat white, make it a large, I need to savor the good coffee, American coffee is awful"

"Of course, Arthur" Nathalie went ahead and Gabriel, Adrien and Marinette got themselves a table. Sitting down, they made themselves comfortable. 

"Do women really ogle you? I didn't see anything at the cafe we went to on Father's day" Adrien asked. 

"The lady at the register went pale, she was shell shocked to see me, I was lucky"

Adrien laughed, "Wow" 

"It usually happens when I am on my own, trust me, when Nathalie comes back, people won't try and approach me because they assume I have a date or something"

"But you have Mom"

"She's missing son, so some people try to make a move on me, men and women alike"

"Oh no, I hope no guy tries to approach me.....Wait, there was one....."

"Don't worry Adrien, I can scare them off" Marinette said. 

Adrien smiled at her, relieved to know, "Thanks, I will do the same for you"

She blushed, "Guys don't ogle me......"

"But you're beautiful Marinette, I wouldn't blame them if they did"

Marinette's heart fluttered at the comment. 

"So how do you handle them Dad?" 

"Well, you just have to watch and learn" Gabriel crossed his legs. 

It wasn't long till someone came along, Adrien and Marinette recognised him but let it slip. 

A man put his hands on Gabriel's chair, gripping the edges, "Hello there handsome, I thought I recognised you~" The man emitted a playful tone. 

"You think you did?" Gabriel replied, not even looking at the man behind him. 

"I think I found the great Gabriel Agreste" 

"Great is quite a strong word....."

"When I mean great, I assume you're good with your hands"

Adrien almost snorted. 

"With all that stitching and all, I know you have experience with those"

"Are you flirting with me?"

"Do you think I am?"

"Don't make me laugh, what makes you think I'm interested?"

"Cause anyone can see how sexy you are~" 

Gabriel's eye twitched. 

_"Wow, this guy is insistent....."_

"Why don't we find a good place to pass the time?" 

"My back says no thank you"

"Tom" Nathalie stepped in with their drinks and all of a sudden, Gabriel jumped up, meeting Tom's smirk. "Hello!" He said in his normal voice. 

"WHAT THE HELL TOM!" 

Tom laughed, "I was meaning to surprise you~"

Gabriel looked at Adrien and Marinette who were sniggering, he glared at them. 

"You though I was a fan didn't you?" Tom grinned, "I thought you would recognise my voice!"

"You're so evil!" Gabriel slumped back in his seat with a clang. Marinette and Adrien were still at the verge of laughing. 

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"I changed my mind, I'm going home, and....well....say goodbye to Jake"

Gabriel turned soft aft hearing that.

"After you talked to me, I realised that.......you're right, I can't let go unless if I go back and say goodbye, then maybe.....I can learn to love again"

"Oh..........that's.....brave....."

"It took me seventeen years Gabe, and I don't know how I'm going to drag myself on the plane, they scare the crap out of me"

Gabriel frowned, "Me too"

Tom put off a chuckle, "Heh, who knows whether if this plane get's hijacked and we crash into a building or not, I've seen one crash near where I work...and.....one in front of me"

"Now you're not helping" Gabriel got another seat as Marinette and Adrien got their drinks and Nathalie sat down, "Sit with me?"

"Thanks" Tom sat down. "Hello everyone"

"Hey Tom, that was an impressive feat of flirting you did there" Adrien said, smirking. 

"Why thank you!"

Gabriel glared at him. "It was a crazy move" he said, sipping on his coffee loudly "-in trying to get into my pants"

Marinette and Adrien giggled. 

_"Oh those two....."_ He groaned inwardly. 

"Thank you for your demonstration Mr Agreste, I've also learned from Tom on how to flirt, it'll definitely help in the future"

Adrien blushed. 

"But I think that I have learned most of it from Adrien, he's flirted with me for ages" 

"I think that you already press my heart Marinette, you always do"

"They're so cute" Tom whispered to Gabriel as they spotted Marinette letting Tikki have a sip of her cocoa as she made sure that she couldn't be seen. 

"Yeah......they are"

 

_Gabriel walked through the university's halls to find Emilie, it had been a week since he met her eye to eye, and his heart had been crazy ever since. Some girls had been giggling around him, he had noticed, of course, it had spread like wildfire that he had a date with such a beautiful women. Now people have been noticing him, giving him advice on how to flirt with the girl._

_He had practised, but he was so nervous that he swore that his heart could leap out._

_"Oh Gabriel!" He heard her voice and his hair stood up on his skin. She came up to him and his throat tied up in knots._

_He knew he looked silly, his face felt warm._

_"Hello......" He ground out._

_"Now, no need to be shy, we had such a great time last week!"_

_"We.....we did"  He remembered, he had such a good time, she was so patient with him and drew out his shyness, after that, they had a nice conversation in getting to know each other._

_"I know it's weird but......can I feel your fingers again?"_

_"Sure"  He lent her his hand and she started squishing his fingers, "Squishy squishy squishy....."She said._

_It was so cute, because of his creative hands, they were firm, and she was curious during their date, so she started feeling them, then she started squishing them, and she got addicted._

_"Do you have a drawing class next?" She asked._

_"I do. What about you?"_

_"I have fittings today in the evening"_

_"Today? I have fittings to make, maybe I can see you tonight"_

_"Ooh!"_

_"Maybe we can have some fun together then"_

_Emilie's eyes lit smugly, "Did you just flirt with me?"_

_"Eh?! Erm....." He realised he did, "Yeah....."  He rubbed his neck, smiling._

_"Well then, it's going to be late by the time we're finished. Would you like to go out for a bite to eat afterwards?"_

_"Sure. I'd......love that, which restaurant do you prefer?"_  

_He realised then, that rather than being so shy, that he could do so much more._

 

Adrien passed some cheese to Plagg inside his shirt. 

"Nooroo" he leaned down to whisper to him in his jeans pocket, "Would you like something to eat?"

"A grape? Please?" Nooroo asked. 

Gabriel opened up his backpack and got him a grape, "Here, there are plenty to eat before we get on the plane" 

Nooroo's little hands reached out and grabbed the grape before it was munched on. 

"So, are you in first class?"

"Hell yeah, someone in my industry had a flight for New York, something came up so.....he asked if anyone needed a ticket and gave it to me, of course, I had to redo the ticket cause it had his name on it and everything"

"You are a lucky duck, what seat are you on?"

"7A"

"What? I'm on 7B, what a coincidence"

_"Maybe it's freakin fate"_ Adrien thought. 

"Great, you can try and keep me from shaking in my knees"

Gabriel laughed at that.

"Adrien?" Marinette noticed her boyfriends frown. 

"I'm fine" Adrien almost squeaked and drank some tea to force down his feelings. "Just making sure that he keeps his wedding ring" 

Marinette quirked a brow at that. 

"I'm gonna get me some cocoa, if I drink any coffee, at this rate, I wouldn't be able to fall asleep comfortably" Tom decided. 

"Go ahead, I'll be keeping your seat"

"Thanks" Tom left. 

Gabriel sighed. 

"It's good for you to have a friend" Nathalie said. 

"Yeah, he's a good pal"

Marinette continued to drink her cocoa while giving Tikki some cookies. 

After Tom came back, they continued to have their early morning snack, they made sure that their kwami's ate everything before they waited until it was time to board their plane. 

"Oooh, that's a big plane! I've never seen one up close!" Adrien said as they were approaching their plane. 

"Me either, I hope we get a window seat!" Marinette added.

Meanwhile, Gabriel was covering Tom's eyes while guiding him because he didn't want to freak him out about the fact that their plane is an United American Airlines plane. 

"Don't worry.....you are only entering a train, and you're going to have a pleasant ride" Gabriel said. 

Tom shuddered, "I hope I am" 

Once they got up the stairs and to the entrance, Adrien and Marinette were welcomed and they happily got in. 

"Welcome to United Airlines flight elev-"

Gabriel slapped his hands on Tom's ears, "He doesn't need to hear that!" 

The flight attendant, a woman was a little surprised, "Sir?"

"Pardon him, he's a nine eleven victim, he's terrified of planes, so I'm trying to keep him calm" he whispered to her. 

"Oh, of course, is there anything we can do?" She asked, a little concerned. 

"Are there any face masks? I'd like to get him comfortable, I'm trying to convince him that he's on a train. But welcoming us on the plane with the flight number screams bloody panic attack" 

"There are, do you need some help getting him inside?" 

"No, thank you"

**"Gabriel?"** Tom asked, unaware of what's going on as he tries to keep positive. 

**"You're fine, everything's fine, we are going on now"**

Gabriel guided him inside and seated Tom into his seat, apparently, the seats were in a angled position connected to the one next to the other person, like little hubs. While he was in the middle of the plane, Marinette and Adrien happily seated themselves to the left of him and Nathalie on the right. 

The woman came back with a face mask that Tom received, he buckled himself in and put the mask on. 

**"Feel better?"** Gabriel asked. 

Tom smiled as he rested his head back,  **"Your voice calms me, you still have that crazy accent"**

Gabriel scoffed,  **"I always do"**

Tom sighed, he closed his eyes and tried to think of something pleasant, something that helps him stay calm. 

His mind shows him purple, Hawkmoth purple, then a memory comes clear. 

Hawkmoth's hand reaching out to him through the debris that surrounded his soul, the feeling of his hand, the feeling of relief that he was found, and that his hand was so soft.......

He focused on that warmth. 

**"You find your happy place?"** Gabriel asked, looking at him from his hub. 

**"Yeah......."**

**"That's good, keep it up"**

 

 

"This is so cosy Marinette, and we got a window seat!" Adrien said from his side excitedly.

"Buckle in Adrien" Marinette said, "I think that the sign up above is for us to get ready" She pointed at the overhead lights above them. 

"Oh, yeah" 

They buckled themselves in before a flight attendant came up to them.

**"All strapped in?"** She asked. 

Marinette rose an eye at her in confusion. 

**"Yes we are, thank you"** Adrien replied. 

**"Wonderful, a light will tell you when you can take your seatbelt off after we take off"**

With a nod, she went past. 

"I have a feeling that I will be needing to learn English....." Marinette said. 

"I'll help you, would you like to start while we are here?"

"Sure, thank you!" 

 

_"There seems to be English and French speaking flight attendants on board"_ , Gabriel thought, _"For Americans going home and French leaving home"_

He took a look at Tom who was breathing calmly, Tom, after a while, took his mask off and took in his surroundings, he was in a hub so he couldn't see that he was in a plane. 

**"Better?"** Gabriel asked. 

**"Yeah, much better. It seems that your presence calms me"**

Gabriel hummed in surprise, **"Really?"**

**"Yeah, I just remember you rescuing me, I just focus on that and everything else goes away"**

Gabriel felt relieved to hear that,  **"There are many people in America that know me as Hawkmoth, when I come to visit, they are always happy to see me, it makes everyone including myself feel better. Maybe you can come with"**

**"Really? I can?"**

**"Of course, if it will make you feel better"**

**"It does already, thank you"**

The overhead light then suddenly chimed, showing that everyone should buckle in, and Tom immediately grabbed Gabriel's hand in fear. 

**"It's okay, nothing to be worried about"** Gabriel assured him, before he looked at his hand being grabbed, he didn't know if he felt uncomfortable about it,  **"You can.....hold my hand if you want"**

Tom let go a bit before got to properly hold his hand, feeling his cold cold hand seemed to be the only thing that was comforting him right now. 

**"You have a cold hand"** He mentioned. 

**"Sorry"** Gabriel smirked.

**"No it's okay, people who have a cold hand have a warm heart"**

**"Oh"** He didn't know that. 

Adrien and Marinette watched out the window as the plane took off, since it was their first experience, they were so excited and surprised to see what it was like being above clouds and seeing a hint of the sun. Since they were in hubs, Tikki and Plagg had the pleasure of joining them safely. 

Once the plane stilled, Tom was calm again after a few minutes and they were allowed to undo their seat belt. 

Nooroo came out. 

"It's been a while since we've been on a plane" He said, "Is breakfast going to come soon?"

"Yeah, I'll see if I can get you anything" 

 They rested for a bit. 

"Tom, when are you going to visit the memorial? Tomorrow?"

"No, today, I can't do memorials, they just make me cry too much, I don't think I can take it"

"That's understandable, did you bring anything?" 

"Erm......." Tom fumbled around for something, and got out a box from his bag, opening it up, it revealed two silver rings.

Gabriel gaped. 

"We wanted to get married as soon as it was legal to, adopt some children and raise a family......."

"You never got the chance, I'm so sorry....." 

"I was thinking of giving it back to him somehow, I know it sounds stupid....."

Gabriel took out his necklace with Emilie's ring on it without question and showed it to him, he smiled. 

"You too?"

"I always keep it with me"

"And you don't take off your wedding ring either, we had to take ours off before we go to work because being gay back then wasn't really recognised......when I came after the whole thing, they sat there on our shared table peacefully......It was hard to let go of them" 

Gabriel looked at them for a bit, "Tom, at the end of the day, cleaners come up and discard everything off the memorial, don't give the rings back"

"Oh, that's....." Tom was dejected at the fact. 

"Maybe.....use them for a future partner, they're beautiful, they cannot be wasted"

"But......they're made solely for Jake and myself....I can't....."

Gabriel started to think, "Then......"

_"The last thing for Jake to think about is for someone to look after him when he's gone, he's my best friend and we share our similarities and differences. I care about him, because he reminds me that there are people out there that had worse experiences than myself, he teaches me things, while I do the same, we support each other"_

"Then we'll share it, until we both find our happiness"

Tom turned to look at Gabriel in bewilderment, "What? What are you saying?"

"I'm saying......that we'll stick together, as best friends, so we can support one another during these hard times. I've got a missing wife and I grieved for over a year but I never knew that someone else would be withstanding something so much more"

"You've taught me, buddy" Tom smiled through his tears. "You bring me comfort"

"You too, you bring me the company that I do need, other than my son, he can't shoulder an adults burden, I need you"

Tom chuckled through tears, "So what do you propose with the rings?"

Gabriel grabbed Tom's right hand and put on his silver ring and then put Emilie's ring over it, then he put Jake's ring over his left hand finger where his wedding ring is. "There, doesn't that feel better? Jake would have wanted me to take care of you, as Emilie would have liked you to take care of me"

Tom's old ring and Emilie's ring is held on Tom's right hand finger, symbolising that Tom is still here but Emilie is lost, while Gabriel held his marriage ring still there, with Jake, who had been lost. It was a balance that they can hold. Ying and yang. 

"It's like you're proposing to me" Tom had this blessed smile across his face. 

"Don't get any ideas"

Tom laughed, "You're the best, you know that?" 

"Yeah, but please look after Emilie's ring, I care a heck lot about it"

"I promise. As for Jake's ring too"

"I promise"

 Seven boring hours later, Gabriel and Tom woke up to the plane landing and Tom flinched in his movements but remained still. 

"That's.......I'm good" Tom sighed, he was holding his breath. 

"Finally" Gabriel sighed. 

Once they all got off the plane, Marinette was a bit out of it, she was tried. 

**"She had a brain squeeze with English"**

**"Yeah.......I so......tired....."** Marinette groaned, **"I want sleep....."**

**"Good job, it seems that Adrien is a good teacher"**

"I think she pretty much wants to drop into bed for the whole day" Adrien assumed. 

"We will be going through security again, miraculous please"

They got into a circle and put away their miraculous into the lock before they walked to the security checks......which seemed to have a bit of a line. 

Okay, a big line. 

By the time they were across, they got their miraculous back and picked up their suitcases. 

**"I better get to my old apartment, it'll need some cleaning up tomorrow since I will be visiting the memorial today"** Tom said to Gabriel.

**"Good luck, do you have my phone number?"**

**"I do, thank you for the company, I really appreciate it"**

**"Thank you, Tom, I'll call you later"**

They hugged for a few seconds before Tom left. 

Adrien watched along with Marinette and Nathalie, **"Huh"**

**"You two get along"** Nathalie said. 

**"It's good to have a close friend at your age and gender, along with yourself Nathalie"** Gabriel replied honestly, she smiled gently at him, glad that he considers her as a close friend.

**"Well. Let's get a taxi for our hotel destination, I'm sure you want to fall in bed miss Marinette"**

Marinette smiled weakly at him. 

They got a taxi in which they were taken to their hotel, it looked grand on the outside, but Marinette woke up a little because the inside just blew her mind. 

"Is this a five star hotel?" she asked. 

"It is"

Gabriel confirmed his reservation at the main desk before he took everyone up to their hotel rooms. 

"Adrien, you are with me in a connected room, Marinette, you are with Nathalie with a connected room as well" He gave them their card keys, "You can get to each others rooms Marinette, Adrien, I trust that you will be responsible. You may choose how you spend your day, I'll come through to let you know when we are going to have dinner, I suppose around six so we are ready"

"Thank you Mr Agreste" Marinette said. 

"I'll join you, I'm sure you must be tired" Adrien replied, rubbing her back before he turned back to his Dad, "Thanks, I think we will have some sleep"

"Rest well, Nathalie?"

"I'd like to unpack so I can get it out of the way"

"Me too. I'll see you after"

He went inside his room to his en suite, his bed could fit four people. It was seconds later until he heard Marinette go "Whoooooooaaaa!" 

Chuckling silently to himself, he started unpacking. 

Then his phone went off, so he answered it. 

**"Hello"**

**"Gabriel, guess what? My landowner won't give me the keys to my old apartment!"** Tom answered in grumbles. 

**"What? Why?"**

**"Freaking asbestos. I lived near the twin towers but I thought that if there were asbestos, it would be cleaned by now!"**

**"It's been seventeen years, wait, have you been paying for your apartment all this time?"**

**"Yeah, it's not expensive, I've made it a home even if it doesn't seem to be much- anyway, it's ridiculous, what am I supposed to do, crash onto the street?"**

**"Can you get inside?"**

**"Uh, no, he won't let me in the building, also, he doesn't believe that I'm the owner in the first place because of my French accent, I've been gone for seventeen years- of course I have an accent! Is there any way you can do with your special civilian power of being famous and influencing?"**

Gabriel chuckled, **"I wish"**

Tom groaned on the other end of the line.

**"How long are you staying in America?"**

**"A week"**

**"Ya know what? My bed can fit four people in there, you can crash at my room"**

**"What? Are- are you sure?"**

**"Of course"**

**"But- what's in it for you? Knowing you, you're staying at a five star hotel, I can't pay that sort of money. The plane ticket was a jackpot and pure luck, I'm sure that it was one of Ladybug's lucky charms"**

**"But at least that money also provides for someone else and not myself, it's cheaper when you bring more people with you. Can you cook?"**

**"Yes I can"**

**"Then you can do that for all of us, there's a kitchen in here apparently. I didn't reserve spaces for any restaurants at the hotel"** Gabriel opened the door to the kitchen, giving it a quick scan.

**"Sure! I can do that! Where is your hotel?"**

Gabriel gave him the address.

**"I'll come over right away"**

The call ended like that, and in thirty minutes, Tom was knocking on his door. Gabriel went over to open it after he unpacked. 

"Thanks a bunch"

"No problem, do you need a shower? You look like you've ran"

"I did. Just my day"

"Come in" Gabriel let him in and shut the door. "Want to take a shower? It seems to be a double space, so we can save water by going in at the same time, I was going to take one once I finished unpacking"

"Oh. Gabriel, that's so kind of you......." Tom blushed, "But, well, there's......"

Gabriel rose an eye, "Is there a problem?"

Tom held his breath for a while, Gabriel was wondering what it was before he finally spoke. 

"Well. Gabriel, can you sit down with your legs together?"

"Erm no. Of course not" Gabriel answered,  _"There's something down there, it's so uncomfortable if you do that, are you kidding me?"_

"I can"

Gabriel was a bit taken a back at the skill, "How?"

"Look at my pants Gabriel, what do you see?"

Gabriel quirked a brow in confusion, "Okay, that's a strange question....." he then looked down his body and down to his feet. "A normal human body"

Tom sighed in frustration, "Erm, Gabe, I am the G and the T in the LGBTIQ"

Gabriel searched his mind, "Hold on. You're........transgender?"

"I keep my ovaries Gabriel, you mind showering with a man who has a vagina?"

Gabriel choked on saliva and blushed. "You're way too broad and tall and manly to be a girl" he looked down and saw that there was no crotch bump in his pants. "Oh!" 

"Why thank you for the compliment" 

Gabriel cleared his throat awkwardly, he couldn't help but blush.

"What?" 

"I don't know why, but I think that trait of you is kind of adorable"

"EEhh??!" Tom retreated back, "What are you saying?!" 

"Well, you're just....perfectly 'Tom' to me"

Tom blushed, "Thanks?" 

 "I'm not backing up on my offer, you're embracing what you already have, why should I change my mind about you? You're my friend, I'm not going to back up and betray that. If you identify yourself as a man, you're a man"

"Really?"

"It's not like I'm going to look down, idiot"

"Pffft" 

Gabriel quirked a smile. "I'd like you to do the same"

"Alright, let's get this over with then. Does the shower have two heads?"

"It does"

"Okay, let's go in"

Nooroo followed them in. 

They discarded their clothes without a problem and put them away neatly.

"Do you mind if you just use my shampoo?" Gabriel asked. 

"Sure, since it must be expensive anyway, I'd like to see if it makes any difference than the normal supermarket shampoo" Tom shared a sly smirk.

Once they got into the shower, Tom yelped at the cold water for a bit before he could make it warm. 

They took their showers in silence.  

Later they found themselves comfortable on the bed dressed with pants on and a towel around their necks twenty minutes later.  

"This is such a nice place, are you going to order groceries up here?" Tom asked. 

"Yeah, do you have any meals in mind?"

"I'll write down a list"

Just as Tom got up so he could pat down his hair with a towel, he approached the nearest window so he could take a look at the view. 

"Gabriel?"

"Yeah?"

"Where the twin towers were.....is that-"

"The new Trade Center, yes, it is"

Tom's eyes were in shock, but in awe at the same time. "Oh my god......" 

He put his hands on the window to stare at it, and Gabriel came over to join him. "Oh, it's finished"

"It's beautiful it's-" he caught his breath, "It's absolutely beautiful like the towers"

"It has one hundred and eight floors, as I heard"

Tom gazed at it for a while, tears brimmed in his eyes. 

"Are you okay?"

He sniffed and shook his head, "No. Because I know Jake is there.........and I can't save him, I want to get him out but I never can......" 

"But this is enough for me, I'm close to him now. I'll get to see him soon enough, if the tower is this beautiful, then the resting place is too"

"From what I heard" Gabriel said softly, "It is"

Tom nodded, "I'm going to get dressed and go make a visit" he tried to keep his tears back. 

"Can I come with you? I still need to get groceries, and if you get them personally, things will be easier to find"

"Okay......you can come"

 

Tom took in a breath as they finally approached the memorial, Gabriel had told Nathalie that he was leaving for a bit with Tom and will be getting groceries before they come back. 

Apparently, the memorial was bigger than they thought, and it's beautiful. The victims names are displayed all around the space of where used to be the south tower, inside the space was a waterfall going down as deep as the debris went when the tower fell. 

"I've got to find his name" 

Tom didn't bring any flowers, Gabriel didn't know why. 

It took a while before they found his name. 

"Jake!" Tom gasped, putting his hands on the plate, "Jake! Jake, love........" 

Tracing his fingers over the name, the tears started streaming. "..............I'm back"

He fell to his knees, and Gabriel started rubbing his back as his friend cried. 

"I......didn't bring any flowers cause.....they'd be thrown away, I don't want that so......." He hiccuped, before leaning up to kiss the name, "I wanted to kiss you for one last time.....and that's something that no one can take away"

He laid there for a while, "I love you......and this isn't goodbye, because when I get old and gray, and I die.....I'll see you again. And hopefully......I'll be able to join hands with you again, in this place...."

_"Really? Tom, you're braver than you think you are.....I don't think I could do that....."_

 

Poor Tom still had the sniffles once they were getting their groceries at Walmart. 

 

"Are you okay?" Gabriel asked him once they got the groceries in the kitchen at the hotel. 

"Yeah" Tom said softly, "I'm okay, I think the cooking will take my mind off it all....."

Gabriel gave him a pat on the shoulder, "You're brave Tom. More than you think"

"Heh, thank you" Tom smiled back at him. 

 

Adrien woke up to see Marinette's face, he smiled, as she was half asleep "Awake Marinette?" He asked. 

"I'm much better, thank you" Marinette got out of bed, stretching her arms, "Other than that, I smell something good, it's keeping me awake" Marinette sighed as she sniffed an aroma that is coming out of the kitchen. 

"Yeah, I do too!" Tikki squeaked. 

They heard Gabriel's voice call out "DINNER!"

"It's dinner time, I don't know who is cooking but I'm more curious about the food" 

Nathalie came in through the door, "Come you two, you heard the man"

They got up and followed her into the kitchen where they were seated at a high table right next to the kitchen. 

"So, what's for dinner?" Adrien asked. 

"Hello guys!" Tom perked up as he turned from the stove, Adrien made a surprised squawk. 

"What are you doing here?!" He questioned.

"His landlord won't let him in his apartment, so he is making meals in exchange for staying with us" Gabriel got some cups out. 

"That's so nice of you, is that ramen?" Marinette asked. 

"It is, you have a good nose"

"Thanks, I grew up in a bakery"

"You're Chinese?"

"Yeah, my Mother is Chinese"

"Cool, My father is the Japanese one, guess we're both half Asians" 

Marinette gave off a giggle, "Yeah!" 

"I also made you kwami some treats" Tom greeted Tikki, Plagg and Nooroo. 

"Finally some real cheese" Plagg replied. 

Tom brought out a large pot and placed it in the middle of the table, along with three plates of food for the kwami's, "Here" He said as Gabriel placed out bowls for everyone, "Grab some chopsticks, and get what you would like into your bowl"

"That's handy, thank you" 

"Very" Nathalie commented. 

The adults seated themselves and they all started collecting meats, seafood and things for their bowl before getting some stock and completing their meal. 

"Yum! This is so good! Thank you Tom!" Adrien beamed. 

"You're such a good cook" Nathalie commented. 

"I'm glad I get to enjoy it"

"Mmmmmmmm!!" Marinette stuffed her face.

"Thank you Tom" Tikki smiled at him.

"Thank you" Nooroo said. 

Plagg just stuffed his face hungrily.

"Thank you, you guys" Tom replied. "It's been a long time since I cooked for anyone"

 

_"Your ramen is the best Tom, someday, you're going to be a great Mother" Jake said as he slurped up his noodles in their apartment, looking up at his beloved._

 

He used to be so happy. 

Nathalie rose an eye as she could smell Gabriel's preferred shampoo off her boss, but Tom's hair was also half dry.

_"What have they been doing?"_ She thought. 

"Do we have to wake up early in the morning?" Marinette asked. 

"Around six o clock, so sleep early, we are going to the trade center and then the memorial after, we also have a meeting with a few families, till then we can decide on what we can do for the rest of the week"

"Cool, we can do anything?" Adrien asked. 

Gabriel quirked a brow at the interested teenagers that had plotting faces but made themselves look completely innocent.

"We will plan something up" 

_"Tomorrow is going to be a tough day, especially for Tom"_ Gabriel thought,  _"I'm more concerned about him"_

They gobbled up the whole pot of ramen, and Marinette was happily full. 

"Now, isn't that good? You'll be alright for tomorrow when you wake up" Tom said as Nathalie gathered the bowls, utensils and put them away into the dishwasher.

"It had a lot of nutrients" Marinette patted her tummy, "It was delicious" 

"It was" Adrien agreed. 

"Get some sleep you two. You will need it or you will be grouchy tomorrow" Nathalie said. 

"Goodnight Marinette" Adrien turned to Marinette. 

"Goodnight Adrien" 

They shared a kiss before they parted off to their rooms along with their kwami's. 

Nathalie sighed, "So young"

Tom sighed sadly, "Yeah"

Gabriel saw the tears in his eyes and immediately came over to hug him.  

"Come on, let's get you some rest" Gabriel said. 

"I'll clean up, I don't mind" Nathalie said. 

"Thank you"

Tom was walked down back to Gabriel's room. 

"Do you need anything?" Gabriel asked. 

"Just your comfort Gabriel. I don't think I could have done this without you"

"No, I was just the influence, you did it all yourself" 

Tom sniffed, "It's hard......"

"I know it's hard......." 

It all came crushing down on him again. 

"Oh Tom....." Gabriel came over and hugged him, "At least you didn't have a miraculous to cause havoc on Paris"

Tom chuckled through a sob. 

"You have me.....Adrien.....Marinette, and Nathalie....."

"Especially you. Sometimes I wish I could have been with him in his office and I would have died along with him on impact not even knowing....."

Gabriel took a breath. 

"But you saved me"

"I did"

"I don't know if I should be thankful or not......"

"Then we'll never know. Just.......I'll look after you, I'm sure Jake wants you to be looked after"

Tom laid his head on Gabriel's shoulder, "Knowing him.......I'm sure he does...." 

Gabriel went ahead and stroked his head slowly. Tom smiled. "You're gentle"

"Yes, and you're a bit of a wuss"

Tom shoved Gabriel aside playfully. "You have an odd way of cheering me up"

"At least it's working" 

"But are you sure you should be touching me? You have your wife"

"You alone are an exception" 

"Why?" 

Gabriel cleared his throat nervously, "I admit I have a little soft spot for you" 

"Whoa there, don't pull me into an affair" 

"I have no intentions to"

"But you're a cuddler, and I like it, did you used to cuddle Emilie?"

"Yeah......" Gabriel remembered, "I did, god, you read well"

"Nathalie looks at you in a way, I'm sure she has a little crush"

"PaRdOn?" Gabriel looked at him with wide eyes. 

 

"Hey Nathalie" Marinette said to her as she was brushing her hair in their shared bathroom with her, "Adrien told me that he's a little worried about you"

"Worried? Why is he worried?" Nathalie asked in surprise, she hasn't had Adrien worrying over her before.

"Well, don't mention he said but he told me that Gabriel dreams about talking his wife"

"Really? And why does this have to do with me?"

"Well, she told him that she was aware that you liked him, and that you used to share things with her, including your feelings"

"Pardon?" Natalie's eyes rose.

 

"You could see that?!" Gabriel gasped at Tom. 

"I haven't forgotten how to detect social communications as a young female. Trust me, she likes you"

Gabriel sputtered, "I have been trying to find out about that, she's......not very social at times because of her job" 

"But her eyes say more than her words Gabriel, how did you know?"

"Emilie talks to me in my dreams, she told me"

"Oh? I wish I could do that. Back on topic, women say everything to each other"

"Really? Everything? I'm starting to find your individual experience as a woman much more helpful than I thought"

"They do, I betcha that right now, if you have told Adrien about this, he will have told Marinette, and.....it goes right back to Nathalie"

 

"Adrien told you this?" Nathalie asked. 

"He did"

"Then.......Gabriel.....making up my hair, flirting with me yesterday was an attempt to find out!"

"So you do like him?"

Nathalie harrumphed, "Blast" she found out.

Marinette giggled, "I think it's actually quite sweet, why do you like him so much?"

"It's not my place Marinette, he has a wife, I don't have high expectations for him to ever like me"

Marinette frowned, "I see"

"I'd rather watch him be happy, that's more than enough. And I hope that the feelings die out so I can be with someone else"

"And your job"

"And my job" Nathalie agreed, "I'd rather keep it than lose it"

Marinette nodded, understanding the situation. "I get it, you have good intentions" 

 

"You mean she might be hearing of it now?!" 

"Yeah. It might be now, tomorrow or next week"

"Oh shit" 

"What's going on?" Adrien poked his head out of the bathroom, "Gossiping?" taking his toothbrush out of his mouth. 

"Nathalie likes me" Gabriel confirmed. 

"Oh, now you're surely in a pickle. How did you find out?" Adrien asked. 

"Tom knows how to read social cues" 

Adrien looked at Tom, "Impressive, do you have a sixth sense?" 

Tom laughed, "No, I'm just good at it"

"So what are you going to do about it? Tell her you know? Turn her down?"

"But Gabriel, if she really really liked you, she'd tell you forever ago" Tom said. 

"She's polite, if anything, if she hasn't told me it's because she wants to keep her job and avoid an affair"

"You can't have an affair if you don't like her"

"True, so if you don't like her, and there's no chance of being jumped, then why doesn't she confess?" Adrien asked.

"Because she knows you don't like her" Tom replied.

"How do you know that?"

"You've never expressed any interest"

"Ah. True"

"So she got the hint and leaves you alone"

 

"So you will never tell him how you feel?" Marinette asked. 

"Why should I?" 

"Well.......do you even know if he might feel the same way?"

"I know he doesn't he doesn't pay attention to me, yet say anything"

"But that's during work, you're not his assistant right now, don't you want to take advantage of the vacation and tell him?"

Nathalie huffed, "No, I'm not deserving of his love. I don't want to endure any rejections"

"Why aren't you deserving?"

Nathalie looked down, "That's........not for me to say" she finished up.

Marinette watched as Nathalie silently left their bathroom. 

"Well, whatever happens, I hope that in the end that you find happiness" She smiled. 

"Thank you Marinette"

 

"I feel bad, should I say anything?" Gabriel asked. 

"Well.......that's for you to decide" 

Gabriel sighed, "Then I will have to think about it, if you are right then I will have to handle it professionally, and......as a friend"

Tom patted him on the back. 

Well......good luck Dad" Adrien went back into the bathroom to resume brushing his teeth. 

"You'll be okay" Tom whispered. 

Gabriel sensed Tom's assurance and smiled. 

"Oh, er" He checked if Adrien was still in the bathroom and whispered to Tom, "Are you on the pill?"

"No, it's not like I am going to be able to find a partner anytime soon, sex is also out of the question"

"I'll try not to jerk off then, I'll tell my son to keep his business in his own room too, he's a growing boy"

"Oh, thanks. I do have pills on hand just in case"

"Take them, I don't want you getting unintentionally pregnant" 

 Tom immediately smiled, glad that Gabriel was looking out for him, he thought to do the same. 

After Gabriel got up to go and brush his teeth, Tom followed after. 

Once he finished, he went and took his pill. 

"So Dad......before I leave......." Adrien said, eyeing Tom and Gabriel's hands, seeing the rings. "Why are you two sharing rings? I mean....that's Mum's"

"Erm......." Tom looked at Gabriel, "We're both going through some tough times so.....we decided to share our rings to balance things out, so we don't feel so heavy of baggage. Until we find our happiness, we can....decide on what to do with them"

Adrien looked at Gabriel. 

"What he said. I decided it" 

"Dad...." Adrien groaned. 

"He will make sure to look after her ring, as I will do for his"

Adrien sighed, "You better, you guys have your own lives anyway"

"By the way, no business in the bathroom, only to your room" 

"Got it, goodnight Dad" 

"Goodnight buddy" Gabriel received a hug from Adrien, Plagg just shrugged. 

"Goodnight Adrien" Nooroo said. 

"Goodnight" Tom said simply. 

"Night" Plagg said and flew off. 

"Typical" Tom commented and Adrien went to his room. 

"Off to bed then" Tom said and yawned as he headed straight for bed. 

"You don't mind if I'm a cuddler and I might end up snuggling?" Gabriel asked. 

"I have a body pillow at home to hug when I sleep, since I don't have it, I might find myself a replacement"

"A body pillow, why on earth didn't I think of that?" 

"Do you need one?"

"I wasn't asking-"

Tom giggled, "I was just kidding, I apologise in advance though" 

"As for myself as well. We may as well get over it, I can't have a lady sleep on the couch should I?" 

"Har har, at least I'm not a princess"

"You know, it makes sense that you wear my clothes, they can be tailored, so they can be good for your body shape. Males don't have slight curves" 

"Wow. You figured it out. But my legs don't matter, and I'm broad anyway, it felt really wrong as a girl"

"It's like god gave you the gift of growing life but you're male so, you're pretty much born to be a very selfless partner for a gay man" 

"Yeah. When I told Jake, he told me that I was amazing, he was actually the one who helped me go through my transition. Cause he didn't fall in love with my body, he fell in love with my spirit"

Gabriel smiled softly at him. 

"Goodnight Nooroo" 

"Goodnight Gabriel" Nooroo said softly and went to sleep on the end of the bed before Gabriel and Tom went and tucked themselves in. 

"Goodnight" 

"Goodnight to you too"

 

They smiled before Gabriel turned the lamp off, welcoming darkness. 

 

_"He's a good fella to have around........and kind of cute too but Emilie pointed out some things that are cute about me so that's pretty normal"_

Gabriel took a breath.

 

 

_"And Nathalie...........oh god, what do I do with Nathalie?"_

 

 

 

 

 


	21. Day 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to add a short fun chapter for Adrien and Gabriel's afternoon on the Friday night~ Enjoyyyyy :P

"Movie night?" Gabriel asked his son as he arrived from school, the older man had cleared his work for the next week so they can have some fun. 

Adrien quirked his head up with an idea, "Actually, I have a better idea"

"Speak your mind, young master" Gabriel grinned at that line, he thought to make fun with it. 

"Have you ever heard of truth and dare?" 

Gabriel, at hearing those words, felt like he was in trouble. He didn't know what that was but liked a little excitement. 

"No, but indulge me"

Adrien had a wiiide smirk across his face. 

"Oh this is going to be fun, count me in!" Plagg rubbed his paws together. 

"The more the merrier. Want to explain Plagg?" 

"My pleasure!" Plagg few up to Gabriel's eye level, "One person takes a turn each, you can either choose a truth or dare. If you choose truth, someone can ask you a question, if dare, someone can tell you to do something"

"That sounds interesting"

"The upside is, that you MUST answer or do the dare, no backing out!" 

Gabriel frowned. "Oh"

"Yeah" Nooroo nodded, "Plagg is a nightmare at dares, hence being the kwami of destruction"

"Okay, now I'm afraid"

Plagg smirked. 

 

"Okay, who wants to start first?" Nooroo stood as the host as everyone sat in the lounge room. 

"I will" Adrien said instantly. "Dare"

"Erm, stuff your moth with grapes and see how many you can fit in there?" Gabriel figured, he just made it up as he went. 

"Good one, I'll get some grapes" Nooroo said. Once he came back, Adrien immediately started stuffing grapes into his mouth. 

"Careful now, don't choke" Gabriel cautioned.

"One two three four, seven..ten...." Plagg counted. "Twelve.....fourteen...."

"Impressive" Gabriel admitted as he watched. 

"Twenty"

"MMmmmmthhhh!" Adrien mumbled with his mouth full of grapes.

Plagg chuckled. 

Then Adrien managed to get his lips together and munch all of the grapes down. 

"You did it" Gabriel said. 

"Alright, my turn, I want a dare" Plagg declared.

"Hmmm......." Adrien got up and he went to get something, to come back with a jar of strawberry jam. 

"Eat this entire jar"

"Ewwwww! That's the worst!" Plagg's face crunched up in disgust. 

"You wanted a dare, eat the whole thing" Adrien placed the jar in front of the kwami. 

"Damn, I want cheese after this" Plagg opened the jar and gave his owner a death glare before sticking his head in and started to eat up. 

"This is disgusting" Plagg mumbled in the jar. 

"And very satisfying" Gabriel was grinning.

By the time Plagg had finished the jar and licked it clean on the inside, he sat in the circle all grouchy. 

"Looks like I will have a dare" 

Plagg and Adrien smirked at each other. 

 

"This is ridiculous" Gabriel stated as he stood in one of their garbage dumps.

Adrien and Plagg chuckled to each other.

"I am going to smell" 

"It makes the day better"

Nooroo finished the sixty seconds, "Okay, sixty seconds are done" 

Gabriel lifted himself out and sniffed his clothes, "Ugh"

Adrien chuckled. 

"Your turn" Plagg said, looking at Adrien. 

"Dare" 

"Well" Gabriel smirked, "Time for a shower and you're coming with me" 

Gabriel grabbed his son by the collar, as Adrien squawked in surprise, he was then dragged along. 

"Wait wait wait- Noooooooo!" 

Plagg cackled loudly. 

"You heard Plagg, you can't back out of this" 

"I looooove this game" Plagg said. 

"I hate you" Adrien pouted. 

"I doubt it" Gabriel chuckled. 

"You're nuts!" 

"You're not seeing any anytime now"

"Plagg! Save meeeeeee!" Adrien flailed about.

"I'd rather see you suffer" Plagg replied.

 

Nooroo sighed heavily. "This always ends bad"

 

 __Adrien made sure to get his Father to at least kiss the ground outside, put a sock in his mouth, and drink a mouthful of tobasco later.

 


	22. Day 28

Gabriel woke up when a certain warmth left him, then a light appeared in the side of his eyes. He shot up and blinked, adjusting to the light, he noticed that someone is in the bathroom. 

He looked to the left of him and saw that Tom is gone, so he thought to wait for him. 

When Tom came back, turning the light off and shutting the bathroom door, Gabriel turned on his beside light. 

"Are you okay?"

Tom hissed as he had a hand on his lower stomach, "Yeah......" he took a breath, "Monthly thing"

"Is it painful?" Gabriel asked as his friend sat down on the bed stiffly, "Well, I took some pain medication....." he turned around and laid down. 

"Would you like a heat pack?" 

"Yeah......I could make do with one"

"I'll be right back"

Gabriel got out of bed, grabbed his wife's heat pack from his backpack and headed for the microwave. 

Putting it in, he timed it and let it do it's job. 

Once he turned around, Nathalie came into view.

"AH!" Gabriel jumped, "Twice in a row Nathalie, really?"

"What are you doing?" She asked, "I couldn't sleep and now you're here in the middle of the night heating that up, I know that Marinette hasn't had her monthly"

"Of course. Since she hasn't said anything...."

"Ah. So he told you"

Gabriel's face went white. 

"He's a girl isn't he?" 

"I uh.......that's not my secret to tell. How did you figure it out?"

"Men don't have shapely hips, or a missing groin" 

Gabriel sighed, "I was slow. He's on his monthly"

"You mean she"

"Tom is Tom Nathalie, I don't care what his gender is" Gabriel shook his head in disbelief at her.

Nathalie smiled softly at him. 

Looking into her eyes, he felt her softness. 

"I'm sorry Nathalie, about the fact that........I don't have any feelings for you, but I feel bad that I don't"

Her eyes that were soft turned into sadness. 

"I know" Her voice broke, "I'm sorry too, I'm not supposed to fall in love with my boss" she sniffed and started using her pajama sleeves to wipe her eyes. 

"It's not your fault Nathalie, you never see it coming" He went over and put his arms around her, she immediately grabbed onto him for comfort. 

"I thought that seeing you with Emilie was enough but it never was, so I became numb over time. I just.....I don't expect you to ever love me......"

"I'm sorry Nathalie, but I really have hope that you do find the right person" 

She nodded. "Everyone is screwed at some point" 

"Ain't that true"

She let out a small chuckle, "You're not going to fire me are you?"

"No" Gabriel shook his head. 

She sighed of relief, "Thank goodness"

"I know you love your job, I won't do that to you"

Nathalie sniffed, "But..... I will need some time alone to take this all in. The fact that you don't love me I mean" she pushed him away, she looked at the floor and sighed. 

"I'm sorry"

"Don't" she shook her head, "I got to do this myself. You got to get that heat pack to Tom, goodnight"

"Nathalie......" 

But Nathalie left before he could say anything. Feeling bad for her, he got the heat pack out of the microwave and went back to his bedroom. 

"Got the heat pack? Tom asked. 

"Yeah" Gabriel said quietly, feeling down, he sat next to Tom and placed the pack on top of his lower stomach. 

"Aaah, geez, that's warm"

"Too warm?"

"Nah, it'll be cold in no time" Tom just shook it off, "You okay?"

"I came across Nathalie in the kitchen, I turned her down, and I feel bad for it. She took it kind of bad" 

"Man. I'm sorry bud, it's not your fault"

"It feels like it, because you're the one turning her down"

"But what you can do is give her space, which will eventually help her feel better"

Gabriel hummed, "You're right"

"Time is a good cure, you and I know very well about that" 

"And company in the later stages of rejection" 

Tom hummed, "Yeah. I think that is the best kind of cure, just you wait, until she's ready, you can attempt to make her smile again"

Gabriel smiled at him. 

"There you go, if she wants to talk to you, listen to her, for now, just.........wait"

"Thank you"

"No problem"

Gabriel felt his guilt go away and wanted to change the subject. "You said you wanted to adopt"

"Ah yeah, that's just a cover up for 'I'm a girl', I've always wanted a child"

"Really? At thirty four years old?"

"It's not too late, I'm having my period, that's something right?" 

"Well, what if you never find someone to share a child with?"

Tom sighed, "I heard that being single is hard....."

"But the sperm you're getting from is another thing entirely"

"Yeah. But, I've taken a look at it but I don't like having the idea of getting the ingredient I need from a total stranger" 

"You tell me, when Emilie had trouble conceiving, having a surrogate mother do it for us was a bit......"

"You know what I mean, but if I turn forty and I don't have anyone, I don't know what I'd do.......maybe foster children or something? I've always wanted to raise a family"

Gabriel watched Tom for a moment. 

"Imagine, right now, I would have already married Jake for so long and you and I would have sons and daughters around the same age"

"Do you have names for your future kids?"

"Chantelle, for a girl"

"That's a beautiful name"

"John for a boy, but I'd like to call him Jake, after his Dad"

Gabriel smiled, "To honor his memory?"

"Yeah"

"Would you prefer having his baby or someone elses?"

"I can't hold onto him for so long, I'll only be dragging myself down. Jake would want me to be happy with someone, no matter how hard it is to figure out whether a guy is straight or gay. But that's what I want for myself as well, what about you and your wife? I haven't seen her, is she pretty?" 

Gabriel went to his suitcase to grab a picture of her and gave it to him. 

"Oh my god, she's beautiful, she looks so much like your son"

Gabriel smiled, "She is always beautiful"

"Here" Tom opened a bedside drawer and got out a picture of Jake, he seemed to be a redhead with hazel eyes, in the picture he has his arm around Tom who looked much younger like how he first met him, but he had slightly longer hair. 

"You don't forget a cheerful face like that" he commented. 

"We we're so compatible with each other, I first met him at a coffee shop, he accidentally spilled his drink on me and apologised so much to the point I was laughing. He was so concerned over a little thing, It was the nineteen nineties. I was in the middle of my transition, so I still hadn't done my top surgery yet, I had a binder on and was very shy. I was always fussing over making sure my chest was flat enough, but he didn't care"

"He treated you as you"

Tom sighed, "Yeah. He made work so much fun because he was around"

"Tell me about it, when Emilie disappeared my world just crashed, like the light went out when she did"

"Is her light still there or is it out like mine?"

"Well.......I think there's a dim light"

"There's the thing, should you go after that light or should you run from it? Because that's supposed to bring you to be brink of death" 

"That's kind of funny and stupid at the same time. But I never thought of that" 

"But maybe that that's supposed to hold an entirely different meaning"

"Yeah, cause heaven is brighter than something dim" 

"So go after the dim light and not the heaven one"

"But what if the dim light becomes the heaven light?"

"That might just mean that she's dead. When you see her, is everything completely white?" 

"Yeah"

Tom frowned, "I don't know if that's supposed to be bad or good"

"She's not dead, if she had an accident or died, I would know"

"But if it, metaphorically happened, how would it come about to reach you?"

"Well, the hospital she were to be transferred to will have to contact Nathalie first before it comes to me......"

Gabriel stopped, "Wait, is that a bad thing?"

"Well, she doesn't have to tell you everything about every call she get's can she?"

"Do you mean that she might be hiding something?"

"Why worry?"

"Because the last time I saw Emilie, she talked to me about Nathalie who had a crush on me, like it was nothing it was kind of weird. She also mentioned about someone else that I would share my life with because she already lived hers"

"Gabriel.......there might be some things that you might not know that Nathalie might" Tom looked wary with the new information. 

"The question is......what?"

"Just leave her be now, as we both know, you just rejected her"

"Yeah. I'll wait for now"

Tom looked at the time, "It's six, it's time to wake up the kids"

"Are you sure you want to stay here until you need to meet up with me for the gathering?" Gabriel asked, he picked up a note book and wrote down the address and time. 

"Yeah, I better rest enough so I won't be grumpy"

Gabriel smiled and put down the notebook and gave it to him, "Be there by nine"

"Thank you, I'll be there. Should I bring anything?"

"You can cook up anything you like, it's always nice to bring something" 

"Sure, I'll see if I can"

Gabriel got dressed into his grey and Hawkmoth purple suit, he always wears it on the day of 9/11, and it's the only time when he wears his brooch on the outside, and not hidden by a scarf. 

He approached sleeping Nooroo at the end of the bed and gave him a little nuzzle on the head, "Nooroo, are you awake?"

The kwami fluttered his wings and nuzzled, "I am now"

"Time to wake up"

Nooroo yawned and stretched out his little arms, "I'm up"

Gabriel let Nooroo take his time before he got up and started following his owner before he stepped into his son's bedroom, and suddenly heard Marinette giggling. 

_"Oh no......"_ He rolled his eyes and decided to step close as possible, the two teenagers seemed to have come together and built a tent using the sheets. There is a torch lit as well. 

Making his presence as hidden as he possibly can, he listened carefully.

 

"I think I'm getting taller" Adrien said. 

"And more handsome" Marinette giggled, "Are you ever going to change your hairstyle along the way as you grow? I'm taller than you at the moment" 

"I don't know but I think it'll come to me, maybe more of a Chat Noir style, what do you think, longer or shorter?"

"I don't know, I think you're right, it'll come to you. Maybe a cute little ponytail could suit you nicely"

"That's not a bad idea Mari, I'll grow it out and see" 

They both smiled at each other. 

"Do you think they have noticed yet? That I snuck into your room?" 

"I don't really care, I'm overjoyed you did and thanks to you we are wide awake"

"Yes we are" 

"I'm kind of glad that I'm not fully awake down there......ya know what I mean" 

Marinette blushed, "Doesn't mean I'm not curious"

Adrien smirked, "We're fifteen but by the time we're sixteen we're legal adults in Paris, Dad met Mum at sixteen, I don't think there's an actual limit" he whispered. 

"Why don't we wait until you have gone past your growth? So we can wait, slowly"

"Wow, you're so sly like that, do you want to torture me?"

"It'll be better once we get there" 

"One week and we are already speaking of our next step into a relationship" 

They both laughed softly. 

"I'm worse, trust me, I already have names for our future kids"

"Really? I told Dad that I'll give him plenty of grandchildren, it looks like we're equal. How about pets?"

"A hamster?"

"OOoh a hamster! That's what I want too!" 

"And you can give me as many roses you like, you silly kitty"

"I actually thought that we could run away together and live on an island at some point, we would live off on fruits" 

Marinette laughed. "What?!" 

"I know, it's kind of unrealistic" 

"You're a dork"

"Yeah, and you're adorable" Adrien poked her nose. 

They giggled before looking each other for a moment. 

"Come ere, sit in my lap" Adrien patted on his leg and Marinette came over to sit in his lap, making herself comfortable, they snuggled into each others arms. 

He kissed her cheek and she leaned into his touch. 

 

Plagg stuck out his tongue in disgust as he appeared next to Gabriel, "And this is why I can't sleep" 

Gabriel gave the kwami a smug look. "What should I do? Punish them for breaking the rules?"

"They're being a couple" Tikki said, "Don't punish them for being cute"

"You're right. I'll only make Adrien feel bad I'll be encouraging him to hate me"

Tikki nodded her head. 

"Alright"

He decided to knock on the wall, and the couple jumped. 

"Time to get up, but as I can see, you two are being cute like a couple would be, are already wake, so come to the kitchen for breakfast"

Adrien lowered the blankets, "Erm, we're not in trouble?"

"Since you don't have puppy eyes, being a nice boyfriend has a good effect. Out of bed"

Adrien sheepishly lowered the blanket and let Marinette out, she was blushing a little bit, but she scattered along to her room. 

"Good morning" Adrien said, half chuckling. 

Gabriel rolled his eyes and went off to the kitchen to make some breakfast, getting some cereal from the closet, he got a bowl and milk. 

 

"Sir" 

Gabriel's head shot up and she saw Nathalie fully clothed, her hair was up in a bun and she had makeup on. 

Make up......to hide the redness under her eyes. 

He had to do this right.

"Would you like some cereal?" He asked. 

"Yes please, thank you" She went ahead and grabbed the cereal box to make her own breakfast. 

Tikki looked at Gabriel, "Can I please have some cookies?" 

"Grapes for me please"

"Cheeeeeeeseeee!"

The three kwami's were all looking at him. 

"Yes yes yes, I'll get you your breakfast" Gabriel sighed, "Be patient at least" he looked at Plagg, "Especially you"

The black cat kwami rolled his eyes in annoyance. 

Nathalie smiled at the scene before her, Gabriel noticed. 

Gabriel got out three plates, each of them having each kwami's preferred food. "Here"

"Thank you" Tikki and Nooroo said, Plagg just went gobbing on his cheese immediately. 

"Why on earth do you have a suit that screams Hawkmoth?" Nathalie asked, scanning his suit. 

"It's a personal preference for the day" 

"He always wears that on this day, we designed it together" Nooroo explained. 

Tikki looked at Gabriel in surprise, "Why?" She asked. 

"It's a very important day, I'd like to dress for the occasion. The families we will visit today will kind of explain, they know I'm Hawkmoth"

"Okay" Tikki nodded, understanding. 

"Good morning" Adrien came out before Marinette, they seated themselves and started making breakfast. 

"Whoa, that's a really nice design" Marinette commented in awe. 

"Thank you"

"It screams Hawkmoth" Adrien added. 

Gabriel chuckled, here we go again. 

"Belive it or not, he wore that for years on this day and no one has noticed" Nooroo said. 

"Even with the brooch out in the blue?" 

"Yup" 

Adrien sighed. 

 

An hour later they packed their back pack with Tikki, Adrien, Gabriel and Marinette's gifts including the fruitcake, Gabriel also put his World Trade Center card on a lenard and put it around his neck. 

They got a taxi and departed shortly after that. 

**"Where to?"** The driver asked. 

**"World One Trade Center please"**

**"Oh? The Trade Center, you work there?"**

**"Occasionally for meetings"**

**"You brought your family with ya?"**

**"I did"** Gabriel smiled at the fact, he sat in the passenger seat next to the driver while everyone else sat in the back. 

**"Bless this day man, we're you here seventeen years ago?"**

**"Yes"**

**"Where we're you?"**

**"Inside the South tower,** **unfortunately"**

**"Geez man, what level?"**

**"Hundredth"**

The drivers face went white,  **"Really? Bless you man"**

**"Thanks"**

**"It must be scary going back"**

**"It is, the head of finances is dragging me back to the same place where I used to stand seventeen years ago engulfed in smoke. I'm going to argue"**

The driver chuckled. 

Marinette started rolling through what they just said. 

"I didn't get the 'man' thing, it makes no sense"

"It's slang Marinette, you know when Nino says 'Dude"? It's the same thing"

"Ohhhhhh"

 

It was thirty minutes until the World Trade Center came into view. 

"Hey Marinette, I think that is it!" Adrien went up close to the window and Marinette snuffled next to him to get a clear view. 

"It's so pretty....." 

"It is, wow!" 

"Blue like the sky"

"Yeaaaah"

 

Gabriel paid the driver at their destination and Marinette and Adrien quickly got out of the car. 

"Come along Marinette, I should at least explain this side of my work"

"Please" The girl said. 

Everyone followed Gabriel from that point. 

"The Trade Center isn't just a place for work, it is a shopping center, studio for artists, it has multiple companies with their workers, businesses, a hotel, bars, restaurants, the lot"

"Wow....., so you mean I could build my own business here?"

"Precisely"

"I'm impressed"

They got inside and Gabriel was instantly hit with deja vu. 

"It looks......similar.....but modernised, my god, they copied the designs but made them white, clear and crisp"

"Really? It's beautiful, you could shout and the building would echo!" Marinette whooped and the building repeated the whoop in an echo. 

Adrien chuckled before he approached the front desk. 

**"Check me in for the meeting room 1 on level 100 please"**

**"Name and card?"** The lady asked. 

**"Gabriel Agreste, registration number 09112001/3"** He passed her his card and the lady gave him an upper glance from the desk, it looked like a sad frown, he gave her a knowing look. 

After a few clicks on the computer in front her, she gave his card back,  **"Have a blessed day Mr Agreste"**

**"Thank you"**

Gabriel turned back to Marinette, Adrien and Nathalie. "Up the elevator people" 

He started explaining how the system works to Marinette on the way up. 

"But I'd rather leave the quite advanced system to the financial business, that's why I get other people to handle it for me and we have meetings every year to talk about it so I know, apparently when you have a company, it's multiple people talking about it so it becomes a big deal"

"I see" 

"But" They got out of the elevator once they got up to the level, "If they insist to drag you all the way down to a place where you don't want to be, and you're a famous man, you can complain" 

Marinette smirked at him. 

"Erm, Marinette, I think it's going to be loud" Adrien warned quietly. 

They walked along to the meeting room where they were met with big, important looking business men. 

"Sit down, I will be back in about like, thirty minutes"

Two of the business men's faces twisted in worry. 

"Okay" Marinette replied softly. 

Once they took their seats outside the meeting room, the meeting room however had clear glass in which you could see through, Gabriel entered with the people. 

"Brace yourself Marinette, it's going to be trippy" Adrien said, grounding his teeth together. 

"I've seen this happen plenty of times" Nathalie added, sighing. "Here we go again...."

Then when the meeting started, they then heard a VERY annoyed Gabriel. His voice boomed through the whole level with a frightening level. 

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU PEOPLE OVER TEN TIMES I DON'T WANT TO STEP IN THE PLACE WHERE I STOOD SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO ENGULFED IN SMOKE FLEEING FOR MY LIFE! WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS MEN LIKE YOU HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO DO THIS MEETING BUT HERE?!" 

"Oh......boy" Marinette was scared stiff. "He's good"

"Yeah. You got to get used to it after a while"

They felt for the people inside the meeting room that were under Gabriel's mercy. 

 

Tom woke up after sleeping for an hour, he felt no more pain in his stomach so he got up and he could stand. 

"Good, I can make a carrot cake" he sighed. 

He got to his bag and tried to find his phone so he could get out his recipes. But it seemed to have gotten itself hidden in the bottom.

"Where is it....." He scrambled around. 

And his hand hit something hard. 

"Ow!" he flinched, his hand withdrew from his bag. 

"What's in here....?" He opened it up further and he found something. 

It's a small, wooden, box case. 

"Erm......I didn't put this in here.....what is this?" He questioned, he lifted it up and inspected it, it had intricate designs on the top but nothing else. 

"What's inside.....I mean, it's my bag, if it belongs to someone, it might have ID...." 

He opened it up and immediately a blue light shone from it, he freaked out, throwing it away from himself so he could shield his eyes from the light. 

Once the light went down, he opened his eyes. And there was a peacock kwami, standing in the bedroom in front of him. 

"WHAT!?" His eyes flew open. 

**"Hey! An American! I love Americans!!!"** The kwami ooed at him, flying around him to inspect her new wielder. 

"Hey, are you Duusuu? I.....I thought Gabriel gave you back to Master Fu"

"Wait, you're Tom!" Duusuu said, switch languages. "Master Fu told me that you are the perfect candidate to be a peacock!"

"Wait- I'm confused,  _I'm_ chosen?" Tom guested to himself. 

"Uh huh! It's nice to finally meet you Tom!" Duusuu nodded her head.

"Me too.....I uh.....I'm flattered, though, I don't know why I am chosen to wield the peacock that is supposed to be Emilie's counterpart"

"She gave me back, it's what she wanted, so now it's your turn! You're his best friend aren't you?"

"Yeah....." 

"Then there you go then, Master Fu gave me to you because you and Gabriel balance each other out very well, and it doesn't have to be Emilie because she is his wife, it's because you are best friends with him!"

Tom smiled at her, "Yeah, true, that makes more sense now" he got up on his knees, "One question though, I thought peacocks are supposed to be males....you sound more of a female, pardon me if I am wrong"

"No, you're right, I'm a very colorful female, as it seems, so are you"

"Uh, yeah, erm, you figured that out?" 

"I can sense you are" She looked at him curiously, "You are American aren't you? Why are you speaking French?"

"It's my preferred language, I live in Paris, and I grew up in America, I'm half American and Japanese"

"Oh I see! What a lovely combination!" 

"Why thank you" Tom smiled up at the kwami. "So, what is your brooch?"

"The tail of the peacock, you can just equip it to your shirt" Duusuu explained. 

"Ah, I see" Tom picked up the box, got out the pin and put it on, "Nice"

"All you need to say is Feathers Fly!"

"Great, before I do any transforming through, would you like to bake a cake with me?"

"Oh?" she was surprised, usually people just want to see their new powers, but Tom would like to bond instead. "I would love to!"

"I'm sure you're hungry, what do you like?"

"Walnuts!"

"Then I'll get you some on the way to Gabriel's family gathering, do you like carrot cake?"

"Yum! Yes I do, where is the kitchen!?" Her head turned left and right rapidly. 

"I will show you the kitchen as soon as I find my phone......"

"I'll help you find it!"

 

Marinette found herself outside the tower after Gabriel explained what he does, and then he started guiding everyone down to the memorial.

"Here is the North memorial, where the north tower once stood"

It was seven twenty and there were already a bucket load of people starting to gather. 

"Whoa" Adrien commented. 

"Come along, let's not get lost"

"There are so many families of the victims?" Marinette asked. 

"Not just families, when the towers were attacked, not only were the families attacked, the whole country was. And also, there were so many people from different countries including myself working here, they all come"

Marinette was surprised, "That's........" 

"I know" Adrien said, "It's sad, but it's also a gathering"

"Now I see why you have a gathering with the families you know instead of coming here with thousands of people....." Nathalie added. 

They got through the growing crowd, and Adrien got out the bag and opened it up, Marinette got out the teddy bear she made and the American flag, along with the roses that Tikki made. Gabriel got out the white akumas he usually makes, Adrien got out a tin of cookies. 

"Erm, everyone always gets roses and things, I thought they'd be hungry in heaven" Adrien explained awkwardly. 

Marinette giggled at his unexpected gift. "It's not a bad idea!" 

"What about you Plagg?" Adrien asked. 

"Well" Plagg's head popped out of Adrien's shirt pocket, "Er" He looked down at the cheese he was holding, "Give them this then" 

Adrien smiled at the kwami's generosity and took the cheese, "That's very generous of you Plagg, I'm sure they'll love it"

"Where should we put them....?" Marinette asked. 

"We could give them to Jake, he could pass them on" Gabriel suggested. "He was Tom's boyfriend"

"Oh" Adrien replied softly, "He seemed upset last night, so it was that?" 

"Yeah. Would you like to give them to him?" 

"That will be nice" 

Gabriel lead them to where Jake is and approached the name. 

"Oh wow, hello Jake.......we...." Marinette started, before looking at Gabriel with uncertainty, he encouraged her on. 

"We.....are friends of your boyfriend Tom, it's our first time here, and we were hoping that you would be able to pass on the gifts that we bought for everyone"

"We will be very happy if you could do that for us" Adrien added. 

"H-here" Marinette placed the teddy bear she made next to his name, and put the American flag in the right side of his name before Adrien put the biscuit tin next to the teddy bear, "Here, the cheese is from Plagg, and cookies from me"

"Tikki" Marinette brought her purse over to the name carefully so Tikki could place her specially made roses on the name. "This is from me, pass them to everyone Jake, we will look after Tom for you, especially Gabriel" she looked up at the older man. 

"Tom, he's......like yesterday, he came to visit, he's my friend, it's been difficult for him to cope with your death" He placed a hand on his name, "But......I saved his life, I'll make sure that he will live a good one just as the one you gave him" 

Gabriel took a steady breath, "That's the least I can do for you" 

He felt the ring on his finger, Jake's ring. 

"Yeah" 

They said farewell to Jake and walked around the memorial so Gabriel could give his specially made butterflies to the people he met and made akumas, their walk was silent, before they went into the tower again for the museum. 

Halfway into the museum, Adrien could hear tiny squeaks coming from Marinette's purse. 

"Marinette?" Adrien asked and she turned to him from what she was reading, "Yes?"

Adrien motioned to her purse, and Marinette opened it up to find a crying Tikki.

"Oh Tikki......" Marinette sighed sadly. 

Tikki looked up at her and sniffed, her face was covered in tears and she came up with the best smile she could muster. 

Once they finished the museum, they decided to have some tea before getting another taxi and left for the family gathering. 

 

"O-kay!" Tom heard the oven bell ding and he opened it up to smell the fresh carrot cake that they just baked.

"Yuuuum! It's smells absolutely delicious!"

"And just in time to pack up, nice and fresh for the family gathering!" Tom started getting the cake ready. 

"A gathering?"

"Yeah, with Gabriel, he has his son Adrien, Nathalie, and Marinette, they're meeting victims of 9/11 for today's anniversary"

"Who's Marinette?"

"Adrien's girlfriend"

"Oh my gosh, time flies!"

Tom laughed at the pun. "Good one"

"Is she pretty?"

"She is in his eyes"

"Awwwwww!"

Tom cracked a smile at her. "Shall we go?" 

"Yeah"

"Hide in my bag, I'll carry the cake" Tom put the cake in a case ready to go. 

"Okay!" Duusuu went ahead and hid in his bag. "It's very interesting in here!" She squeaked from the inside. 

"You will have to be quiet, could you do that for me please?"

"Sure. I will" Duusuu whispered. 

"Thanks" 

Tom left the hotel, locked the front door and departed. 

 

**"He-llo!"** A lovely mid sized lady greeted them the second she opened her family front door. She gave Gabriel a big crushing hug. 

**"Hello Marie! How are you?"** Gabriel asked, patting her on the back.

**"I'm lovely, but how are you dear, you didn't come last year!"**

**"I had some unfortunate events came in my way, I apologise"**

**"In that case, you don't need to explain"**

**"I brought some guests. I'd like you to meet my son, Adrien"**

Adrien stepped forward,  **"Hello"**

**"Oh my eyes, this is your boy?"**

**"Yes"**

**"Hello dear! You look just like your Mother, aren't you just handsome?"**

Adrien chuckled,  **"Yeah, I'm a model"**

**"I'm Marie, it's a pleasure to finally meet you!"** She hugged Adrien and he returned it, before she noticed Marinette,  **"Now who is this young lady?"**

**"This is my girlfriend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng"** Adrien introduced. 

**"Hi"** Marinette said nervously. 

Marie looked at Adrien in surprise,  **"She is such a beautiful young lady dear"** before she turned to Marinette,  **"Hello Marinette, you are so lucky to have such a charming boyfriend"**

"Er...." Marinette couldn't translate. 

**"She's French, let me translate"** Adrien stepped froward and told her what Marie said, she blushed. 

**"Thank you...."**

Marie then turned to Nathalie,  **"And this must be the assistant I have heard so much about"**

Gabriel cleared his throat awkwardly as Nathalie shot him a surprised look,  **"Please don't tease me, yes, this is Nathalie Sancoeur"**

**"Pleasure to finally meet you Marie"** Nathalie greeted. 

**"The pleasure is mine, please, come in"**

She let them in one by one before another man scooted by, Tom, who was holding cake in his arms.

**"Wait for me Gabriel!"** Tom called out and Gabriel halted, **"Ah, Tom! Marie, this is my friend Tom, I believe I told you about him, my first akuma?"**

**"Oh yes!"** She turned to Tom, **"So this is the man"**

**"Yup, he's alive, we found each other by coincidence"**

**"I made carrot cake"** Tom smiled and Marie hurried him in so she could get the cake and Gabriel's fruitcake prepped up and ready, they all came inside and went through to the lounge. 

Suddenly a group of people came into view. 

Two men sprung up. **"Gabriel!"**

They all gave each other hearty hugs. **"Haven't see you in a bit! What happened to you last year man?"**

**"I'm afraid some unfortunate events came into my way, and I had to cancel"**

**"Oh, I see. And who have you brought with you?"**

**"My son, Adrien, his girlfriend Marinette, and my assistant Nathalie"**

**"Hey little Man!** " The guy put a hand up, and Adrien high fived it, **"Sup!"**

**"I'm John, your Dad saved my little boy when I lost him in the crowds. He returned him to me in the lobby when we we're retreating"**

**"Oh wow"**

**"Thanks to him, I got to see him grow up"**

His son came up, now twenty two years of age, greeted Adrien. 

**"Hey Adrien, I've heard about you. Gabriel keeps on telling me that we will get along well, I'm Ken"**

**"It's nice to meet you Ken"** Adrien greeted. 

Tom looked around the lounge at the group of people, he was surprised at the number of victims that Gabriel had met other than himself. 

**"Tom, let me introduce you to David"** Gabriel brought him over to the other man that greeted him,  **"David, this is Tom, he was my first akuma. Tom, I met David when he was asking around for his missing wife. In fact, I found her in below the impact zone after I found you. She was in incredible pain and needed peace, she couldn't be saved. He's one of the first people to give back their loved ones wallet to"**

David nodded a bit sadly as he remembered.

**"Oh. I'm so sorry"**

**"No......what happened to you pal?"**

**"I lost my boyfriend in the impact zone, I never got to talk to him again"**

David sighed,  **"Man. We're both screwed"**

**"You tell me"**

David laughed,  **"Well, we've got each other then. We're never alone, we always have someone to talk to"**

Tom looked at Gabriel with sympathy,  **"Thank you"**

**"No worries, that's why we are here"**

A lady came over and greeted Gabriel, **"How is Nooroo dear?"** she asked. 

Nooroo came out,  **"I'm here Joan!"**

Marinette and Adrien's jaws dropped dramatically. 

**"Father, do you think that is necessary?!"** Adrien squawked. 

**"Nonsense, we all know little Nooroo. He saved us in the elevator chute"** Joan patted Nooroo on the head. 

**"You don't say"** Tom replied. 

**"I lost my transformation in there, don't blame me, they keep it a secret"** Gabriel explained. 

As Gabriel finished speaking, he spotted the peacock pin on his shirt. "Speaking of secrets.....I need to speak to you"

**"Erm"** Tom followed Gabriel obediently, **"Be right back?"** he said to everyone.

Gabriel took him along into another room and shut the door. "What is that?" He asked, pointing at the brooch. 

"Erm. I found it, in my bag, this morning" Tom explained and Gabriel rose an eye, "I had nothing to do with it!!"

Duuusuu came out, "He speaks the truth, Master Fu snuck me into his bag with great intent!"

Gabriel's eyes widened before he cupped the kwami, "Duuusuu, I missed you so. How are you?"

"I am well, Fu explained everything to me, I am so sad to hear of Emmie's leave....." 

"Oh Duusuu, maybe she will come back, who knows. I have so much to apologise for"

"I'm sure"

"Of course, you have a new owner" he looked up at Tom, "Congratulations"

Tom gave him a toothy smile. 

"I'm sure that you two will become a great pair!"

Both men looked at the kwami with concern, "I don't know if that's a good or bad thing"

"Me either" Tom added. 

Duuusuu just looked at them in confusion. 

"Come back out, we shouldn't keep them waiting" Gabriel said and Duuusuu went back into hiding. 

They opened the door and caught everyone staring at them. 

**"What?"** Gabriel asked. 

**"Finished making out?"** One of the men,Billy joked. 

Both men put their hands up and screeched  **"NO!"**

Billy laughed,  **"Kidding, but if you guys put yourself in a broom closet, I'd assume worse"**

**"T** **hank you for the tip"** Gabriel glared at him.

Gordon grinned at them,  **"Come on Bill, leave them alone"**

**"And these guys are.....?"** Tom asked Gabriel for an introduction. 

**"I met them in the elevator shaft as well"**

**"Oh those guys, you told me about them!"**

**"And they must be your kids"** Harrison motioned to Marinette and Adrien. 

**"Adrien is my son, Marinette is his girlfriend, pardon her everyone, she isn't fluent with English"**

**"Hello"** Marinette said nervously, but caught sight of the main coffee table that had snacks plastered all over it. 

**"We will be bringing out lunch soon"** Marie announced from the kitchen. 

**"I'll help"** Joan went into the kitchen. 

Billy came over to Marinette,  **"It'** **s nice to meet you Marinette, do not worry, we can all help you"**

Marinette smiled, as she tried to translate, **"Erm....."** But Adrien went ahead and did it for her anyway. 

**"Thank you"** She replied to Billy. 

They all took a seat. 

**"So Adrien, Tom, these guys are Billy, Joan, Harrison and Gordon, whom I met in the elevator shaft"** He pointed,  **"You have met David, John and Ken. Then they are people who I gave wallets back to, Mary, Gilbert, Jane, Marie, who is in the kitchen, and her husband Tim"**

**"Hello everyone"** Adrien said, Marinette waved, she got everyone's names. 

**"It is lovely to meet you Adrien, your Father speaks of you very highly"** Mary said. 

Adrien smiled at his Dad. 

**"You too, how did Father meet you?"**

Mary glanced at Gabriel,  **"Well, once I saw your Father, I shrieked, it wasn't my moment, I have never seen a huge butterfly before"**

Gabriel sniggered at the memory.  **"I took most of my time trying to calm her down"**

**"I don't blame her, there was so much chaos in the building, it wasn't even funny"** Tim replied. 

**"I** **lost my husband, I was hysterical okay? A huge butterfly wasn't making my day better. I went in the building trying to find him"**

**"Gabriel gave my sons wallet back to me"** Tim added. 

**"I was the Father of one of y** **our Dad's akumatised pals. Henry, he was the second"**

**"I took his wallet just in case"** Gabriel said.  **"I knew that he was gone by the time I started timing out"**

Tom spoke,  **"I was the first akuma, I was electrical so I traveled through the telephone line"**

**"Oh you're lucky indeed"** They were surprised. 

**"But I lost my boyfriend, he was instantly killed in the impact zone. Gabriel saved me"**

David patted him on the shoulder,  **"That makes two of us"**

**"Emilie isn't with you today?"**

**"Mum comes?"**

**"Yeah........I'm afraid...."** Gabriel gathered himself to explain,  **"We had a bad fight and she is taking a break from me. It's been more than a year....."**

**"Oh.....I'm so sorry, that explains why you didn't come last year"**

**"Yeah. I didn't want to come in a poor state"  
**

**"We understand"**

Joan and Marie came out with lunch and put them on the table,  **"Eat up dearies, especially you Gabriel. You do need a little sugar every once in a while"**

**"You tell him"** Adrien agreed.

Marinette brightened at the lunch on the table, there were salads, pizza, pudding, cake, fruitcake, donuts, crisps and the lot. 

"This is interesting" She said. Once she spoke, everyone was surprised to hear French from her mouth, before she picked up a donut and tried it. 

**"What pretty French, I don't understand it but you have a lovely voice"** Billy commented. 

Adrien translated for her, and she blushed a little,  **"Thank you...."**

**"Merci, right?"**

**"Yes!"** She nodded. 

**"She lives in a bakery with her parents, sweets are a specialty with them"** Adrien explained.

**"Oh really? Maybe you could sneak in some recipes?"** Marie asked. 

Adrien translated. 

"Sorry, they're secret family recipes" 

**"They're secret unfortunately"**

**"Well, I tried. Is your bakery popular?"**

**"OH yes! They are the best in Paris!"** Adrien answered for her. 

**"Really? If I could, I'd come all the way to Paris to visit!"**

Adrien translated for her, she perked up in surprise. "I could make some......if you like, someday this week for you"

Gabriel translated. 

**"Oh thank you dear but I hate to be a bother, you are on vacation aren't you?"**

**"You could make something this afternoon while we are here with her"** Gabriel suggested, **"It's never a bother"** he then turned to Marinette, "You could share the kitchen today, would that be nice?"

"Ah, I'd love to!"

**"She agrees"**

**"Then it's settled, once the gathering has settled, I'll clean the kitchen and we can start!"**

Adrien translated. 

Marinette was more than pleased to cook with an American, she can bake in a different kitchen and learn some more English along the way. 

**"The doughnuts are delicious, who did the fruitcake?" Tom asked once he finished his first bite of doughnut.**

**"I did"** Gabriel replied. 

Adrien sucked back his pudding in shock, the next he was choking. Everyone started laughing before Tom started patting his back, so Adrien could manage and swallow what he had tried to eat. 

**"Be careful now!"** Harrison said, chuckling. 

**"You bake Dad?!"** Adrien sputtered. 

**"I do. Your mother taught me, I do this every year"**

**"Your Father is a very special man. He uses** **his power with much responsibility"** Tim said. 

Adrien rose an eye at his Dad, and Gabriel shook his head and sighed. 

**"What is it man?"**

Tom looked at Gabriel with much concern, he could feel his heart drop all of a sudden as Gabriel looked guilty. 

Everyone could feel it. 

**"Are you alright? Do you need me to explain?"** Adrien asked. 

**"No. I felt so ashamed of myself of what everyone would think last year, that I put myself so low as Mohammand Atta did"**

**"Gabriel dear?"** Marie looked ashen. 

Gabriel thought to let it go,  **"I......haven't used my powers responsibly lately, for over a year, because of my wife's disappearance I......I searched for two brooches like my own, the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous, as they could give me a wish to get her back.......but I did the wrong thing, I terrorized Paris for them"**

Gabriel felt shame in his heart.  **"I'm not special, I'm human. I'm sorry"**

Silence stilled in the room, and Marinette could feel it, nothing could translate that. 

**"So......Hawkmoth, that was you"** Ken had figured it out. 

Gabriel wanted to walk away, but he knew he couldn't. 

**"The attacks stopped almost a month ago"** Ken added, the group looked at each other. 

**"What changed?"**

**"Adrien. My son walked past my barriers and showed me the way out of my misery, I still miss my wife. I had a terrible fight with her, and I had a deep regret, I wanted to fix it. But I had dug a hole so deep, I did it the wrong way"**

**"Atta was evil at heart, you are never as low as him"** Tom said, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

**"You are right Gabriel, we are all human. We don't blame you for feeling, we all have lost someone, we all want them back. But......we.....can't"**

Gabriel looked down. 

**"But you know, there is always a price for something in return, we can't take someone els** **e's** **life for the ones we have lost. There is no way, we can't** **do that"**

**"Thank you for telling us, it must be difficult"**

Gabriel nodded. 

 

The rest of the afternoon was a blur for Gabriel, as everyone chattered along, enjoying their lunch, and not long after, Tom's carrot cake, in which he also enjoyed. Little by little, his shame left his heart.

But all he could think about was Emilie. 

 

"Are you alright?" Tom asked as he joined Gabriel to take a view by the window. Marinette was in the kitchen with Marinette and Adrien baking croissants, everyone else had long departed. 

"I'm......dandy...."

"Heh. Dandy, I know that look"

Gabriel sighed. 

"You're thinking about Emmie right?"

He nodded. 

"Me too, for Jake. I mean, there isn't a day when you don't think about the ones you have lost"

"Yeah....."

"You know, that was brave of you to speak out like that, to admit that you did something wrong"

"I knew I couldn't just......walk away from what I did. I don't blame anyone if their opinion of me has changed"

"Well.....mine hasn't. You're just.......Gabriel"

"Really?"

"You.......you realise your mistakes and take nothing for granted"

"I didn't think of my boy until a month ago"

"But you do now, because you do care. If you were truly evil, you wouldn't have even listened to Chat Noir"

 "True........" Gabriel turned to look at Tom in surprise, "Why do you only see good in me? Don't my negatives let you down?"

"Well, you don't do that with me, and.....well, why would I want to be negative? I don't want that to be the main point in my life, I'd rather look forward to the things that will come to us rather than staying in the past. You never know, Emilie may come back to you"

"But.....what if she doesn't? What about the worse? What will I do?"

"We don't know, but I know for sure that I will be with you"

_"Maybe......it wouldn't be so bad, since he is here, I will greatly appreciate company"_

"Thank you"

"Always" 

 

Silence. 

 

"In the meantime, maybe you could help the relationship with your son with his girlfriend"

"Well, I did interrupt a couple of things between him and her, Marinette actually snuck into his room this morning. Wait..........." Then an idea came into his head, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I am!" Duusuu whispered from Tom's pocket. 

Tom smirked, "Shall we make this week romantic for them?" 

"You read my mind" 

"So, what shall we plot out for them tomorrow"

"We can go to an aquatic center, we can plot then. And make up a date spot in the hotel for dinner"

"I love it. I'll get my book out and we can start putting it all together" Tom opened up his bag to get his book. 

 

Nathalie noticed the two men sniggering about as they wrote in a book, she rose an eye at them, wondering what on earth they might be doing. 

"What are you two up to?" She asked before she approached them. 

Gabriel shushed, "We're plotting"

"We are making out the day for tomorrow, for Adrien and Marinette"

"For their relationship?" She quirked a brow in interest. 

"Yeah. We might need Plagg and Tikki to co-operate"

"Hmm. This seems interesting, call me in"

"Then come in the plotting circle my dear, we have a lot to go through"

Considering that she had just been rejected that early morning, it felt like it was going to get better despite her broken heart. 

 

They all enjoyed afternoon tea with Marinette's tasty macaroons and croissants, Marie was delighted to be able to taste them, as they were of course, delicious.  In return, Marie made them all a nice American dinner for the night, it was a new experience for Marinette and Adrien.

**"Thank you very much for having us over for lunch and dinner today"** Gabriel said. 

**"It is my pleasure, in return for Marinette's lovely cooking"**

**"Thank you Marie, I loved it"** Marinette replied with a quirky French accent. 

**"Thank you for coming along dear, you are always welcome back into my home, anything for more macaroons!"**

Marinette giggled. 

**"I will keep in contact"** Gabriel said. 

**"Have a lovely year dear, I hope to see you soon"** Marie gave him a hug,  **"It's always nice to see your family, including your boy"**

**"You too, until next year"**

 

They got a taxi back to their hotel and decided to relax for a while, and maybe have a drink before bed soon. 

 

"We will take a shower first Adrien" Gabriel said when they got into their rooms. 

"Okay, save some hot water for me"

Gabriel smiled, "We will, since we will be going in together"

Tom and Gabriel went into the bathroom and started stripping. 

"Huh" Tom said.

"What?"

"No blood, I must have been ovulating" Tom put his pad in the bin and tossed his underwear away.

"Keep up with the pills then"

"Yeah"

Once they stepped into the shower, they only planned a quick wash. 

"Can I wash your back?" Tom asked. 

"Sure" Gabriel turned around to let Tom wash him, "It's hard to get the back"

Tom chuckled, "No wonder we Japanese help each other then"

"It's nice to do so, I'll do yours"

"Thanks"

_"He has a sturdy back...."_ Tom thought as he washed Gabriel, "You must exercise a lot as Hawkmoth to build muscle"

"It won't be long until I flatter you as well" Gabriel chuckled. 

"While I assume that Adrien will be the same, I won't comment"

Gabriel sniggered at the thought. 

"Alright, I'm done. Switch"

Gabriel grabbed Tom's preferred soap and started washing his back. 

"Be careful, it might be a little slippery" Tom cautioned as the soap touched his back, feeling Gabriel's hands on his skin. 

Tom expected his fingers to be rough because of his work, but confusion hit him as he felt otherwise, they were smooth, and squishy. 

"Gabriel......why are your fingers so.....squishy?"

Gabriel's hands stopped and his eyes widened, "What?"

"They're squishy, your hands, especially your fingers"

Gabriel took his hands off, frozen. 

"What?"

Gabriel coughed, "Sorry" he went back to work "Emilie used to always say that"

"Ah" Tom realised what he just did, "Sorry- I didn't realise-"

"No no, don't think bad of it" Gabriel continued on awkwardly, feeling his face flare up a little bit. 

Tom felt the floor go slippery a little bit. 

"Gabriel, are your feet just as-"

"WAH-" Gabriel moved a bit and suddenly he grabbed onto Tom, taking him down with him as he fell backwards.  "GAH!" Tom squawked. 

The floor hit Gabriel's back hard, he let out a pained grunt, but his stomach was also squashed by Tom on top of him. 

"Owwww.....get off me....." Gabriel groaned. 

"Gabriel! Are you okay? I'll get off-" Tom moved forward quickly but blast it, he was the same height, once he got up, he couldn't move. "Ah!" 

Gabriel couldn't register if that was a gasp of pain. "Tom?"

"Gabriel?" Tom squeaked, "I don't....think I can move"

"Why?"

"Can't you feel it? I'm sitting on your-" Tom tried to move, but since the floor was so slippery, he only moved around a bit on the spot. 

Now Gabriel got it. 

_Tom was sitting on his lower region._

"Get up!" Gabriel barked, his face flushed red. 

"I can't! The floor won't get me moving and I'll only make it worse if I keep trying!"

Gabriel took a breath and suddenly he could feel Tom. "Tom.....why is your vagina kind of larger than average?"

"Testosterone does it to you Gabriel. I should be asking the same thing about you" 

Gabriel groaned, and tried to move himself up but he brushed against Tom. 

Tom slapped a hand on his mouth as he squeaked. 

This was bad, the floor was slippery, they can't get up, and their sexes are both in full contact. 

"Damn soap and damn.....ugh, I don't know what to blame...." Gabriel groaned. 

Taking in the situation, he finally took sight of Tom on top of him, he looked........ _sensitive._

"Tom, I haven't had sex in over a year, what was your last time?"

"Erm, like.....fifteen years ago? I masturbate....but never any skin to skin touch...."

"Shit. We're both in trouble....." 

"I'll try not to rub...." 

"As much as I don't want to admit it, I'm desperate too. So we are both going to try and figure out a plan to get us out of this....." Gabriel looked around, maybe he can pick him up. 

Gabriel put his hands on his hips. 

"Wait! Stop- I'm ticklish-" Tom squirmed and Gabriel had to force out a breath, as Tom laughed, his body spasimed against Gabriel's and the laughter changed into moans. 

"Tom-" Gabriel grunted. But his dick grew, and he knew that he was in further trouble. 

"Gabe...." Tom looked down and felt the growth beneath him, "Stop pressing-"

"I can't-" Gabriel twisted and Tom let out another stifled gasp. 

Gabriel held back a moan. 

Tom was now shaking, Gabriel could feel it against his lower region.  _He was pulsing._

"Tom......." Gabriel cautioned, looking up at him, "Tom......."

"I know, I wanna move...." Tom grunted, "But I think you're fully erect, it's actually kind of nice"

Gabriel inhaled in a breath to steady himself. Willing himself not to give in. 

Tom whined, "I think.......I'm gonna cum"

"Shit. Can....can I lift you up by the bottom? Or maybe.....I can just slide you off me?" 

"What do you have in mind?" 

Gabriel looked around for anything he could use and found some remaining soap on his back, gathering it, he pushed it down and encouraged it to settle and slowly, Tom started to slip down. 

"Ah....it's working...." Tom kept his breathing steady and started slipping down, next, he had reached the ground. 

"Finally!" Gabriel exclaimed happily. 

But there was now two problems. 

One, they have to find a way to stand up.

And two, they're both heated. 

Gabriel in fact, was obvious, when Tom turned to check if Gabriel was okay, it said hi. 

"Erm......" Tom took in the view, his eyebrows raised. 

Gabriel covered his dignity in embarrassment. 

"It's very impressive, Gabriel. But you don't need to hide it, I almost came on you, consider us both equal on the embarrassment stage"

Gabriel sat up, "Are you alright?"

Tom was obviously still flushed, "I........" he sighed in silent frustration. "Never mind, let's get the hell up" 

Gabriel carefully placed his feet on the floor and moved himself up, "Whooaa......" He wobbled a bit, but he stilled. "Ah....." 

Tom got up too, "Goody. Now, I'd prefer to get the heck out of here....."

"Whoa-!" Gabriel fell forward and fell onto Tom, next thing, he was over him, plastered against the glass. 

"Bloody hell-!" Tom started.

"What's going on?" Adrien came in, and both men froze in horror as the younger boy stopped to see them both plastered together against the glass. 

Adrien blinked. 

"It's not what it looks like!" Gabriel barked and Tom blushed furiously, "Get off me!!!". 

Adrien blinked again and his face twisted into repressed laughter, "What happened here?"

"Dad-o here has such soft skin to the point that he slips off soapy tiles....." Tom glared at Gabriel, "I admit, it's nice, but I'm not putting a ring on it" he growled. 

Adrien started laughing out loud. "Oh my god! You two should see your faces!!" 

Plagg, Tikki, Duusuu and Nooroo came in to see what the commotion was about and they had mixed reactions, Plagg cackled at them. 

"How sweet!" Duusuu commented. 

"Shut up" Gabriel scolded. 

Adrien then looked at Duusuu in surprise, "Huh? Now, second explanation. Why is Duusuu here?"

"Help us out now, explain later" 

Adrien sighed, "Fine" 

"I'm going to note to self to never use this soap again" Tom said. 

"Agreed"

"Nathalie!!!!" Adrien called out. 

The two men freaked out, "NO!". 

"I'm not doing.....that" Adrien motioned to the situation, and left which came in Nathalie. 

"Erm" She stopped at the door and scanned the scene before her. 

"What a pickle. Here's some advice, drop down, and crawl out, I'm not here to get you out of your own problems" she said flatly, her icy eyes flared at Gabriel with hurt. 

It seemed like she shot an arrow in Gabriel's heart and his face twisted into an apology before she turned and left the room, shutting the door hard. 

Tom felt Gabriel sulk, his chin laid on his shoulder, but Tom didn't want him to feel so down. 

"Gabe. Let her heal"

Gabriel sighed. 

 

They managed to get out of the shower without any issues. 

 

"Now get dressed, you'll get cold" Tom grabbed his sleep wear and threw them into Gabriel's lap. 

They got dressed silently. 

As they did, Gabriel caught sight of Tom's figure. He doesn't seem like a woman at all, well, he does have good figure. In his eyes at least. 

"Did you get your blue eyes from your American parent?" Gabriel asked. 

"Yeah, quite"

"They are quite beautiful"

"They are aren't they? Japanese usually just have hazel eyes, but mine, what a gift eh?"

"Along with what you have kept, you don't look like a woman at all. I respect the fact that you cherish what you have, is sperm not possible?"

"No. You go through a male period and undergo surgery for everything else but that's it, no erections or sperm. Your DNA is still the same, despite what kind of build you have in the present, you can still carry"

"I see. So you may feel like you're not a true male?"

"Some people may see it like that, being gay makes it easier. No female to have screaming at your face when they find out"

Gabriel frowned, "That's......uneasy to face" 

"I'm just me"

"Yeah, you are"

 Tom looked at Gabriel in surprise. 

"Yeah, you are" Duusuu said from the bed, it seemed that their two kwami were snuggling up together.

"Duusuu" Gabriel rolled his eyes as he sat down on the bed and grabbed his sketchbook. 

"You were best friends with Emilie when you first found me, and guess what happened" Duusuu smirked. 

"Don't start"

Tom giggled, "We better be careful then, since I am stuck with the same kwami"

"Not every wielder I have get married, sometimes they become soulmates"

"What do you mean?" Gabriel was interested in what she was saying. 

"I mean like, the best sort of friend, no marriage, just two people living together, sticking by each other for life"

Gabriel felt his heart lift at the possibility, and he looked at Tom who was surprised. 

"Well....." Tom started, he gathered his words, "Isn't that right......" the man looked down, lost in thought. 

Nooroo looked at Gabriel. "Well, isn't that the best kind of lucky charm?"

"Yeah......" Gabriel agreed. 

 

_"Gabriel, don't you have any friends?" Emilie asked him inside his new office of their house. They have just got engaged._

_"Me? I have you"_

_"Other than me silly"_

_"Well.......no, now that I think about it, I don't"_

_"It would be quite uplifting if you could at least have one man friend, someone you could stick by"_

_"Would it?"_

_"It would, so I can stop worrying about you all the time, I would be able to to trust that you're safe and well"_

_Gabriel smiled at the thought, "As for you, my dear"_

_Emilie hummed happily, "I have plenty of friends. Sometimes you got to think about yourself than work for a change, spread your wings instead of locking yourself in your office all day"_

_"With the work I have, it'll be difficult"_

_"Try at least, maybe someday you may find your soulmate"_

 

Gabriel didn't understand by what she meant by that, he had already thought that she was his soulmate. 

Well, until now.

"Really?" Tom was happy about Gabriel's response. 

"Of course, I mean, we are already so in sync with each other right?" 

"You mean it? I mean.......I've been all by myself all these years. It's obvious I'd want a human connection but...."

"Shut up Tom, I like you too Buddy" Gabriel shook it off, shaking his head. "I've never had a friend around my age"

'But then again, we are bound to magical brooches" Tom laughed, "And in our middle ages" He sat on the bed next to him. 

Gabriel gave him a playful push. "Well, a toast to two seriously lonely men that are separated from their loved ones except ourselves. Will a fist bump suffice? I don't have any alcohol"

"It's better not, I can't tolerate it anyway" 

They fist bumped. 

"Cheers" 

"What was that?"

"Kampai, it means cheers"

"Then, kampai it is, for our sorry asses"

Tom barked a laugh. 

"We should be getting into bed, the kids will be beating us" 

"Adrien hasn't come to say goodnight by now"

"Let me predict his move in three.....two......one......." 

"Dad" Adrien knocked on their door. 

"Got it" Tom clicked his tongue in victory. "Beginners luck"

"That ain't beginners luck until I see you catch a fly with a pair of chopsticks" Gabriel got up and headed for the door.

"Ha. That's funny" 

Gabriel opened the door and greeted his son. 

"Goodnight Dad" Adrien put his arms around Gabriel and hugged him. 

"Goodnight- son, you're growing!" Gabriel could see the height difference. 

"Am I? I noticed!" Adrien's eyes sparkled at the sight of his Father's approval. 

"You'll be tall as me, I know it, and handsome in your own way. I wish your Mother could see it"

Adrien shared his gratitude with another hug, "Then I must be heading to sleep now, I must get plenty of rest"

Gabriel leaned down to kiss Adrien's forehead, "Soon enough I won't have to lean down. Oh, my boy, you're growing.......I'm so proud of you" Gabriel felt his tears spring to his eyes. 

Adrien smiled, "Yeah, and I think Mum is already proud" 

Gabriel nodded slowly, "Yeah. Go to bed, I love you" He kissed him again and they gave each other another crushing hug. 

"I love you too Dad" 

They gave each other a wave as Adrien left, and Gabriel had to shut the door so he could fan his face to prevent himself from crying of joy. 

"The little things are so beautiful......" Gabriel sniffed, Tom chuckled at the sight. 

"Kids are such blessings aren't they?" 

"Yeah" Gabriel chuckled, wiping away tears. 

"Calm down sooky, you're okay. Just overwhelmed" Tom got up and grabbed his arms to try and calm him down. 

"Maybe I should, lay down...." Gabriel made his way to the bed, and laid down, Tom following after. 

"Ah....." Gabriel sighed. 

 

"Well......erm, the shower was awkward"

Gabriel scoffed and Tom playfully smacked him on the side. "Ow"

"And er, the day went better than I thought, at least I didn't go breaking down, I got a miraculous. Nice"

Duusuu smiled above them. 

"Come on, I'm getting tired, lets all go to bed"

"You can join me Duusuu" Nooroo said, before he went to sit at the end of the bed. 

"Sure" Duusuu went to join him. 

"Yeah. Tomorrow is another day"

"Too right" Tom tucked himself under when Gabriel did. 

Once Tom snuggled in, it felt a bit cold, even with the doona on. 

"Erm....." Tom shuffled up close to Gabriel and settled with that warmth, right next to his arm. "Ah....."

The other man rose an eye at him, "Cold?"

"Yeah, I hope you don't mind"

"Are you kidding? I'm always cold, mind knowing that I'm a cuddler"

"Yeah" Tom chuckled. "I remember"

Gabriel turned to his side comfortably and got up close so he could get warm. "Ah, not so bad when you have your own personal heater"

"Pfft"

"Goodnight" Gabriel smirked. 

"Goodnight you oaf"

"Hey"

"You have skin soft as a baby's bottom, enough to slip off stupid tiles, you're much as a cry baby as myself while you have a good muscular tone, you cuddle, you're surprisingly gentle, you're an oaf, need me to continue?"

"I'm guessing this is payback for my description of you?"

"Yeah"

"You're cute"

Tom gasped softly at the revelation, "I'm glad a mostly straight guy like you thinks that way"

"You're welcome"

"No. Really"

"Come on, go to bed, may as make the most of it, cause we're sleeping in"

"Ok. I'll shut up"

"Goodnight"

"Goodnight Gabriel"

 

.......

 

Tom laid there as he heard the steady breathing from Gabriel, looking up at him, he was about to speak-

"Go to sleep" Gabriel stopped him before Tom could say anything. 

"Ah. Ok, night"

Tom kept his mouth shut then. 

 

 


	23. Day 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The singing had me laughing lol, imaging Gabriel doing that just sets me off.

_Tom was confused, he thought he was supposed to be sleeping but now he's....._

_He looked at his white silent surroundings, well, he doesn't know where the heck he is._

 

_"Erm. Well this is odd....." He commented._  

_He looked down and sighed of relief that he was still in his current body, he took another look around and he just stood there wondering where he was and how he was going to get out._

_"Well, this is new" he heard a voice and jumped in his spot, turning around he came face to face with a blonde haired and green eyed woman, she was smiling up at him with her hands behind her back._

_"Wha...."_

_She was just as naked as he is, inspecting him up and down, and Tom blushed at his modesty._

_"Who are you young man?" She asked._

_"Erm......I'm Tom, er, you?"_

_"Emilie" she gave him her hand and he kissed it, "What? Emilie, you mean......Emilie Agreste?"_

_"You know me?"_

_"Yeah, well, I am a friend of your husband, erm...." he lifted his right hand up and showed her his finger that had her wedding ring on, "Here, he gave it to me to look after in return for looking after my deceased boyfriends ring"_

_She gasped, "What?" she looked at up him in surprise._

_"I'm sorry If we did anything wrong.....I only meant well, he suggested it and I'm more than happy to hold it for him"_

_"No" She shook her head softly, smiling at the ring, "Gabriel doesn't do friends, he is way too busy and shy for that. I've been with him long enough to know, I'm surprised is all, I've been worried"_

_"Ah..." Tom didn't know that, smiling down at her, she took a step closer. "So you've been with him?"_

_"Yes, he saved my life in 9/11......." he looked to the side a bit, remembering their first meeting, "He thought I was dead and we recently found each other. Since then we have been getting rather close, since er, well.....I lost my boyfriend and he, you"_

_"I see. You've been looking after him?"_

_Tom nodded softly._

_"Thank goodness, knowing him, he'd be all alone, and it breaks my heart to see that. So thank you, thank you for looking after Gabriel, he means the world to me"_

_Looking at her teary eyes, he smiled, grateful that he could help, knowing Jake would want the same._

_"So how am I here?"_

_"Well, since you're asleep, you're only here because you are sleeping right next to my husband" -Tom gasped, and she giggled, "I don't blame you for being lonely, Gabriel cuddles after all, you may expect a cocoon tomorrow. You see, his butterfly magic sucks you right in"_

_"But......I don't understand, where am I? What is this place?"_

_"The spiritual plane, isn't it obvious by all the white?"_

_"Like, heaven or something?"_

_"In a way"_

_Tom frowned, "Hold on.....you don't mean....."_

_"Tom"_

_He heard Gabriel's loud booming voice from behind, he turned and saw his surprised friend. "Ah"_

_"What on earth are you doing here?" Gabriel asked with wide eyes._

_"Erm.....magic? I'm talking with your beautiful wife here"_

_Emilie giggled at the compliment._

_"...........You are" Gabriel looked down to see his wife and suddenly his face brightened, like his whole world lit up, Tom felt it and his heart hurt painfully, as he wished that he could do this with Jake as well._

_"Sweetheart" Gabriel walked over to her and gave her a big hug, "I missed you"_

_"I missed you too dear" She kissed him on the lips._

_Tom saw how gentle he was in holding her, kissing her, and treating her that she was one in a million fish that he couldn't bear to lose. Priceless, replaceable._

_"I see you've met my good friend, Tom"_

_"I have, he's a bright gentleman isn't he?" She let go of Gabriel, "You have a friend, I'm so happy for you...........though, you don't have to sleep with him" she rolled her eyes playfully._

_"Eh, well- I- uh- I care a good lot about Tom Emilie, we're buddies, and we stick together" Gabriel tried to find a way to explain, "Plus, he lost someone and yesterday was hard, I don't want him to be alone"_

_Tom's jaw dropped at Gabriel, "Erm well......yeah.....but not too much, well, we've been there" he looked down a bit, awkwardly._

_"Yeah.....unfortunately....." Gabriel grimaced, referring to the shower incident._

_She giggled, "Now, I was only kidding, you don't have to go that far" she let out a few laughs._

_The two men frowned, well, that was just awkward._

_"I'm so glad you two are getting along, just don't build any cocoons okay?" She said._

_"I can't grantee you that I won't" Gabriel replied._

_She hummed at him, "You're the butterfly wielder after all, you can't help it"_

_"I still remember when you we're pregnant with Adrien, you built a nest my dear"_

_"Oh yes, that was.....yeah, I couldn't help that" she giggled._

_Tom blushed, he could do that one day.....that would be wonderful...._

_Emilie noticed and smiled at him._

 

_"Look after him Tom, please?" she asked again._

_"You already asked, I will"_

_Gabriel looked at Tom softly as Emilie went over and hugged him._

_"Thank you......."_

 

Gabriel woke up to Tom laying next to him, he was on his back while his friend was laying on his stomach.

"Good morning" Tom said, "Or shall I say, good morning to you and your lower region?"

Tom was smirking.

"Ah, sorry about that, did I wake you up?"

"Well, I woke up when I bumped into it. But don't worry, it's something I can giggle about" Tom's smile widened and he winked at him.

"And pardon me, but, you're sooooo cosy!!"

Gabriel chuckled.

"And, your skin is so soft, I thought women were supposed to be softer, I though I was supposed to be softer"

Gabriel lifted a hand to he could feel Tom's cheek and rubbed a little, "You're soft to me, just...." He reached down to the chin, "Got a little stubble there"

"We always do. That's why we shave"

He then turned to the tent in the blankets.

"Sorry, I'll clear that up" Gabriel grumbled.

"You said yesterday that you use pills......don't you?" Tom slowly recalled.

"I do"

"Ah. Gabriel, heh, that's not healthy" Tom shook his head.

"I can't even masturbate, it hurts, I can't do it without her"

"That's when you're wrong Gabriel, as a man that has been separated from his partner for over seventeen years, I will tell you now, that there are other ways"

Gabriel knew that, but he was curious, so he thought to at least hear him out on what tactics he might know.

"Proceed"

"Allow me to demonstrate, can I?"

Gabriel nodded his head.

Tom threw the blanket off and all they could see was the tent in his sweatpants. Then he put his hand down to grab his balls, in which he took a careful feel of them.

"They're hard"

"And that means......?"

"You're putting strain on them by not releasing that pressure. Of course you can't release, it's hard to relax. But of course, when you are with Emilie, you relax your muscles easily"

"That.....makes sense, so what do you think will help?"

"Stay here. I'll be right back" 

Gabriel was a little concerned with what he would come back with, but ten minutes later he came with a tray that had a slim love long tube, he rose an eye to the question of what he might do to him.

"What are you doing?"

"A prostate reset"

"A reset? You mean like put me back to my original settings?"

"Yup"

"You're some kind of genius"

Tom chuckled, "Anything I can do to help. Not being able to climax is just embarrassing, your wife is just going to think that you'll be going dry"

Gabriel laughed at the fact, "True. So what do we have to do?"

"Lie down. I will have to expose you, and the tube may be a little hot, I had to boil it so it's sterilised"

"So the tube....."

"It's going in you, yes"

Gabriel retreated back at the thought.

"But don't worry, it won't hurt"

"You say that now......"

"I don't want to hurt you at all. But it's for your own good. Pants off"

"All the way off?" Gabriel was surprised.

"I can take mine off too, if that makes you better"

"No. I'll take them off" Gabriel took them off and Tom blinked as expected.

"Okay, I kind of thought it would be smaller. But I'm not going to further comment"

Gabriel glowered at him.

"Excuse the intrusion" Tom then started putting the tube down the opening of his dick, it felt weird and he had to grab the sheets tight.

Inch by inch was pushed down, until he felt the tube hit something inside.

"Ah, it hit something"

"Jackpot" he adjusted it, and the next thing Tom started prodding his fingers inside his anus, it was really weird now.

"Sorry about that"

Feeling his fingers inside trying to find his prostate, at some point when he found it, he pressed.

Gabriel was suddenly hit with a wave of pleasure, his eyes rolled back, he had to gasp, and then it became more intense.

"Holy shit!"

His friend sniggered, "Just warn me when you need to release"

Gabriel bucked backwards before he suddenly felt the urge, immediately he started pulling the tube out and Tom and covered it before his hand was then covered in thick sperm.

He gasped, his body was shaking violently before he fell back onto the bed, he had to catch his breath as Tom moved back with his sperm stained hand, he had to cup them together so it wouldn't slip over his hands and stain the bed.

"Feel better?"

"You......cured me" Gabriel panted, his chest rising up and down.

"Yeah. And my hands are slimy"

Gabriel felt.....light, he was emptied, released, there was no more tightness. He was better again.

"Thank you"

"No problem. I'll just ......flush this down the toilet or something.... "

Gabriel put his sweatpants back on, and got up, "Whoa" he eyed his hands.

"Yeah, I'll just....."

"And wash your hands"

"I'll do that"

Gabriel went into the bathroom with him so he could turn on the taps for him and Tom washed his hands.

"Thanks"

Gabriel just smiled.

"And.....it was nice to meet your wife. She's very sweet"

Gabriel blushed slightly, "Yeah. She is"

"I could see instantly that you love her very much.  And....."

Tom then remembered what she told him. That she was in the spiritual plane.

"Yes?"

"Erm. She wants you to be happy"

Gabriel's smile faded, "Tom? Why am I getting something else?"

Tom frowned, he was suddenly scared, it was the spiritual plane, heaven. Shit, Emilie could be dead, and Gabriel clearly has no clue about it. For over a year, worse, how was he going to tell him?

Tom looked at Gabriel, swallowing his feelings, by looking into his friends eyes, he couldn't bring himself to speak.

"What's wrong, why are you reluctant all of a sudden?"

Damn butterfly miraculous.

"Tell me what you're thinking, please"

"She.......told me something........but...."

"But?"

"I..........I care enough about you not to say anything. But I think you deserve to know, but I can't bring myself to say it"

"I can wait if that will make you comfortable"

"I want to tell you as soon as we get home. Can you do that? I don't want to ruin our holiday"

"Of course. I'll wait.....and.......thank you" he put hands on Tom's shoulders, "For telling me, now I know and.....I'm at assurance that even if you can't tell me yet, I can be patient"

Tom responded with a soft smile, "At least its something I can do"

Gabriel nodded.

"Now, let's get dressed, I'm sure that the kids are hungry"

"Oh yeah! I'm going to make some waffles, want some?"

"I'm not sure if Adrien should....."

"Oh don't be such a party pooper. Come on Gabriel, I put bananas in mine"

Once they got dressed, Gabriel found himself being dragged on by Tom. But once they got to the kitchen, they found not just Tikki, Plagg and Nooroo with everyone, but Duusuu as well and she was enjoying herself with Marinette.

"You're such a sweet girl Marinette!" Duusuu squeaked.

"Thanks, it's the least I could do"

Marinette was stirring a pot of something.

"Duusuu, what are you doing out in here?" Tom asked.

"About time you told us about Duusuu here. She scared the shit out of us for fun" Nathalie said.

"Yeah, so why is she here?" Adrien asked beside Marinette.

"Whoever owned her must have slipped her in my bag.....I found her yesterday, and Duusuu said that she was intended for me so.....I must be your new partner" Tom explained.

"Huh, master Fu does have ways of slipping miraculous into people's hands" Marinette replied.

"Erm, what are you making Marinette?" Gabriel asked.

"Secret ingredient walnuts for Duusuu"

Before Gabriel could speak up, Adrien stopped him, "Na uh, you're not having any"

Gabriel didn't argue then. "But what are they for?" Tom asked.

"Special powers, you give a power to your kwami and say power up! For example, water, so Tikki turns into aqua Tikki, and then I say, aqua Tikki, spots on!"

"Ah I get it"

"What are the other powers other than water and ice?" Gabriel asked and he only got Marinette poking a tongue at him.

"So technically, you're soaking special mix into walnuts?" Tom asked.

"Yeah"

"That's smart of you, I'm about to make breakfast. Who wants waffles?"

"Me!" Adrien, Tikki and Marinette put their hands up.

Gabriel sighed. He let them eat waffles.

"How is the weather today Nathalie?" Gabriel asked.

"Open the curtains and you'll find out"

Furrowing, he went to the nearest window and opened the curtains to find a dank, dark, rainy morning. 

No swimming today.

"Well that sucks"

"Dinner is still in place, maybe we can satisfy the young couple with doughnuts and pillow fights?" Nathalie suggested.

"We can think of something"

"A movie?"

"That's.......good but Marinette isn't fluent with English, they won't be able to enjoy a movie"

She nodded in agreement.

"We have a TV, why don't we hook up a tablet for a movie?"

"That's an idea. I'll set one up after breakfast"

"I'll help. Make it romantic and all"

"I'll let Tom know, he will probably keep them busy with treats"

"For sure"

Tom successfully made everyone waffles with bananas and raspberries in them, Marinette and Adrien enjoyed them through fully with syrup. While Tikki rapidly ate her own, while the other kwami ate their own preferred food.

It was delicious.

"It seems that Tom has found you a sweet tooth" Adrien said.

"It seems so....." Gabriel admitted, even when he didn't even want to.

Tom just smiled, "I'm glad you enjoyed it"

"I'll clean up for you"

"Thanks"

"So.......what will we be doing today?"

"Since its raining we may as well be lazing around and keeping warm"

Marinette and Adrien both looked at each other with plans in mind.

"No checking out your business?" Marinette asked.

"The people I met up in the meeting yesterday cleared it up. But no worries, I taught you at least everything you needed to know at the trade center"

"Okay. Thank you" Marinette nodded with understanding.

"Always welcome Marinette"

As Gabriel washed the dishes, Nathalie got Tom to help her set up the lounge room so the young couple could have some fun later.

"Guys, follow me" Tom said and Adrien and Marinette got out of their seats and started following him, once they got inside and noticed the candles, blankets and pillows, they stopped to ask, but Tom had already left the room and locked the doors.

"He he he he he" Tom sniggered along with Nathalie.

"Mission accomplished"

"Er....they were planning this weren't they?" Adrien assumed.

"And we're all alone without Tikki and Plagg...." Marinette added.

Adrien's confused frown turned into a smirk, "Well then, m'lady, shall we watch a movie together?"

"Of course minou" Marinette smiled sweetly back at him.

The three adults had their ears against the door.

"They're taking the bait" Duusuu said.

"Yeah!" Tikki added with a cheer.

"They're going to have so much fun"

"Okay. With them all good" Gabriel stood back up, "What shall we do now?"

"I have a book to catch up on, you two have fun together" Nathalie said, "I'm sure Gabriel has to teach you a few things about having a miraculous"

"Yeah. You enjoy yourself Nathalie" Tom nodded.

The two men said goodbye to her for now, as she left to go to her room.

"Well then, let's see your transformation" Gabriel suggested.

Tom looked at Duusuu and the kwami nodded.

"Okay....well, then.......Duusuu.....feathers fly"

Tom, though a bit nervous, transformed in front of Gabriel's eyes and when he opened his eyes, feeling the rush of magic in his bones, Gabriel gasped.

"Wooooooow!" Gabriels mouth was open in astonishment.

"Is it......okay?"

"Are you kidding me? Look at you!"

Tom then looked down at himself.

He wore boots that went up to his knees, tied up in laces and from his waist extended his tail, his stomach and arms were covered in feathers. A mask could be felt on his face, while his wrists had fluff but his hands had no gloves, and his hair was smoothed back.

He was a green peacock.

"You look very you. And look at your tail! They've got pink spots, to signal a female, how nice"

Tom could feel his tail and gave it a very birdlike shake.

"I feel......fluffy"

Gabriel striked him a smile.

"My wife had a fan but it looks like you have a samurai sword instead"

Tom looked to his left to find a sword.

"Whoa what? I get a sword?"

"Looks like it"

"You're kidding......."

"You have no crest, like the peafowl, and your eyes......they're mostly black"

"Ehhh, that's kind of creepy" Tom then withdrew his sword and they gaped at the quality of it, it shone like brand new.

"So what's my power?"

"You provide protection for people"

Tom's eyes flew wide, "Wha- like the towers?"

Gabriel nodded, "Like the towers"

Tom sighed out of surprise, "Maybe this is why I was chosen. To aid those in need. How is it done?"

"Instead of butterflies, like me, you use your feathers, which I think are in your wrists, give them energy and blow then away, so they may reach the person in need. Once you come in contact with them, you may convince or ask to provide assistance or protection, their protector will come up in a shape that will comfort them and you can control it"

"Ah. I see. I understand it now"

Gabriel put a hand on his friends shoulder.

"Nooroo, wings rise"

Gabriel transformed into Hawkmoth.

"Ah......" Tom's eyes widened a bit once he saw Hawkmoth right in front of him.

Hawkmoth just smiled, he knew that he was a hero to Tom.

"So, what will be your name?"

"Ah .....erm......le Paon, yeah, le Paon"

"The peacock huh? It fits you"

"Thank you"

"So, shall we go on our first run, or....fly?"

"In the rain?"

"Doesn't that make it so much more fun? And no one will be able to see us"

Paon looked the the window and thought that it isn't actually a bad idea.

"Okay, let's go. And we gotta get back before lunch ya hear?"

"Of course. We will have to quickly open and shut the window though"

"Oh and Hawkmoth?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm......proud to be your partner"

Hawkmoth smiled gratefully at him, before he remembered something, "Oh! I remembered something, apparently, if we are a fitting match of companions, our miraculous should glow when we touch each others"

"Oh really? Let me try first" Tom went ahead and touched the butterfly brooch and it reacted instantly, glowing a green colour before it faded.

"Ah......" Hawkmoth was surprised at that response.

"So we're a fitting match huh? Seems that Duusuu is right, we are mates. Did this happen with Emilie?"

"Ah no.......it didn't....."

"Oh. I'm sorry....."

"No, they were never given to us, we found them, there wasn't a chance that they could be a perfect match with them. Emilie never had a good intent with Duusuu, but I did, so we figured that I matched with Nooroo, and I developed my abilities but Emilie never used the peacock pin often at all"

"Did you use Nooroo after nine eleven?"

"No, not much, I only used Nooroo unless if I really did need him. I practiced with him often because I could develop my skills, I was interested in him"

"That explains things. .....so if we are a match, what does that mean?"

"I don't know yet. But I'm guessing we will find out"

They went out flying, it seemed that Paon could glide with the aid of his tail. By bounding off the buildings, he could continue travel alongside Hawkmoth.

It was raining, heavily.

Once they landed, Hawkmoth stopped him for a moment.

"Hey, wow, look at this, have you noticed what building were standing on?" Hawkmoth asked in surprise.

"Erm no, which one? It's pretty high for one....."

"Were standing on the world trade center!"

"Huh? What?!" Tom jumped in his step and looked around.

"Err......no, we can't be, this feels too weird...."

"It is rather dark but I've been up here before, it does feel rather odd as nothing is supposed to be here but there is"

Tom look a breath in.

"There......there is......"

He closed his eyes and searched his heart.

It felt like ......he was standing on the old trade center. But it's gone, there is only a new one, a replacement. It's gone....

"It makes you feel like you're on the old tower doesn't it?"

"Yeah.....but why?"

"I've thought about it but maybe.......maybe this building is supposed to show that the old towers will always be around, no matter how many times you take it down, there will always be another one rebuilt"

"But it doesn't replace the people who died ......so why do I feel like Jake is still alive right now in the offices below?" 

"Their spirits perhaps, are still lingering around"

Tom sucked in a breath as he felt it, "No Gabriel.....I wanna get out of here, this is too unsettling......Jake is dead, he isn't alive, I don't like this feeling....."

As Tom tried to make a departure, Hawkmoth stopped him.

"Tom" he held him firmly, "He's still alive, in you, your heart still remembers that he's here, that's why you feel it. He may be dead but no one can destroy his soul"

Tom felt tears rise to his eyes and he sobbed.

"He probably can feel you now, and that you're here"

"Hmmhmmm, yeah, he probably can" he nodded in tears, before he went and hugged Hawkmoth, "He can"

Then an idea came to mind. "Hey, hold on a second......give me a moment" he let go of him and then went to the edge of the building.

Taking a large inhale, he bellowed, "FUCK YOU MOHAMMAND ATTA!!!!!!!"

Hawkmoth watched wide eyed in surprise as his friend pointed a finger at the ground, before yelling again.

"Whoa" he laughed.

When Tom was finished, he caught his breath and came back again.

"I always wanted to do that" Tom said giddy, he walked proudly at that.

Hawkmoth laughed so hard that it was actually funny. Tom giggled back at him.

"I love that" Hawkmoth actually wiped a tear out of his eye. "Jake will love you for that right now. So....so proud"

Paon hummed happily, "Yeah"

They stared at each other for a while, catching their breath.

"Did ya know? I love the rain"

"Do you?"

"Yeah. Rain cleanses you, and you can have fun in it all day long"

"You're right. But what kind of fun?"

Paon went ahead and jumped into a big puddle that splashed onto Hawkmoth. "Ah, that"

"Have you ever heard of a mud bath?"

"That sounds like a terribly crazy idea- hey"

"What?"

"You just gave me an idea!"

When they got back, they de transformed and Duusuu ruffled her feathers of water, as it all landed on everyone, Nooroo wasn't impressed about being soaked.

Adrien and Marinette enjoyed a romantic movie and they had blown the candles and put everything away, after thanking the adults for a planning a date, they had already had set their noses on what Tom was making for lunch. Soup.

"Finally something healthy" Gabriel said.

Nathalie snorted to herself.

"-other than the ramen you made"

"So, what is the idea you have gotten?" Tom asked.

"Well, I'm taking you all to something interesting after lunch. You'll see"

 

The two teenagers hummed in interest, since it was raining, they started thinking about what it could be.

Apparently, when they did get to the mysterious place, Nathalie let out a great sigh of relief.

"You're the best boss in the world!!! I need this!!"

Tom and Gabriel laughed.

Gabriel had brought everyone to a spa.

"Oh wow, what a wonderful idea!" Marinette said.

"I have brought everyone's swimming attire, so let's go in"

Tom, understandably nervous, followed Gabriel.

Once they got to the register, Gabriel went through the options and decided to share it with the group.

"So ......would any of you prefer a spa, onsen or massage....?"

"Erm.....would it be okay if I preferred the onsen?" Tom asked.

"Actually, I would like to try that too, with Adrien"

"Me too" Adrien agreed.

Gabriel was surprised at their courage. "Well, separate or together?"

"Together"

"You two do know that you'll be going in naked right?"

The young couple retreated at the new info, Adrien remembered what Gabriel told him, "Actually, a spa will be better" Adrien changed his mind quickly.

Marinette nodded rapidly, her cheeks flushed.

"Okay, I will go with Tom, and Nathalie....."

"I desperately need a massage. Can I join you and Tom in the springs afterwards?"

Gabriel looked at Tom for his okay.

"Alright, I'm good with that"

"Okay. I will put something together" Gabriel turned back to the register and started to make a booking.

Once he finished and the register lady went off to get a few things, Gabriel have the teens their swimming bags and Nathalie's bag with essentials.

"Okay, here's what's happening. We have a hot spring, indoors because it's raining, and it's connected to a spa room, so we are close together, in between will be a clear door so you can go into the other room if you want to"

He then turned to the kwami, "Tikki, Plagg, Nooroo and Duusuu, do you all want to do to one specific place or preferred pairs in a room?"

"I'll stay with Tikki" Plagg said, "So Tik? Which room?"

"I'll stay with Marinette"

"We will come with you Gabriel" Nooroo said.

"Alright then"

The kwami hid before the lady came back with Gabriel, Tom and Nathalie's towels.

**"Thank you"**  

They were guided inside and two other people took Adrien and Marinette into their room, and another which took Nathalie. While Tom and Gabriel were taken into their locker room.

"It's been a long time since I've been to a place like this" Tom said.

"You've been to Japan?"

"I've been there for visiting family, yeah"

"I heard it's a wonderful place. What was your birth name, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Eh. ...Sakura"

"As in cherry blossom flowers?"

"Yeah"

"Why?"

"Well, my parents told me that when I was born, I was so beautiful that my parents cried, they were so happy. And if you didn't know, Samurai, when they come upon cherry blossoms, they cry happily, so.....I'm guessing that calling me Sakura was supposed to help me find a man and marry easily"

"That makes sense......"

Tom snorted, "But I grew up with broad shoulders and things ......it was weird, so my name didn't make sense anymore"

"Maybe it really meant beauty of the soul" Gabriel assumed as they undressed.

"What? Really?"

"Yeah like......when you look into your eyes, which are already very mesmerising to look at, but when you look straight inside.......you see the soul"

Tom watched as Gabriel looked at his eyes, gazing inside them, as he looked at him, Tom found himself looking at Gabriel's eyes, hazel, yet blue.

He caught himself catching his breath by just staring inside of them.

Gabriel smiled and went back to undressing, Tom blushed at what he just did. But then again, Gabriel stared at his eyes first.

"Erm.....thanks, I guess?"

"You're welcome"

"Well......yours are nice to look at as well"

Gabriel blushed.

"Have you ever been a model?"

"Well.....actually I haven't"

"Maybe you should try it out"

"Are you actually saying that I'm model material?" Gabriel's race turned red in surprised embarrassment.

"Erm, what I'm saying is- you're hot- eh- no-"

Gabriel turned a little flustered, "You're very handsome in a lot of ways and you should at least give modelling a try!"

"You're very flattering Tom" Gabriel started and they swore they heard a giggle from Duusuu, "But I'd rather drag you down with me to do that"

"He he he, you can feel free to"

"You have no sense of shame, you know that"

Tom gave him a proud smile.

They then went ahead and stepped into a shower to wash their bodies before they enter the springs.

"Can you draw?"

"Erm....well, enough to do good. I write music after all"

"What kind? Where do you work?"

"Ah well, I work for Jagged Stone"

"You're kidding" Gabriel's jaw dropped.

"Yeah. He gives me lyrics, I make the notes, I pass them over and he does the rest. It's rather casual and I like it"

"You do his finances too?"

"Yeah, because that used to be a job of mine as an accountant, he finds that useful and has me do that for him. I get paid more that way"

"Wait a second"Gabriel suddenly remembered something, "......I actually have seen you once. Five years ago I went to visit Jagged Stone to discuss one of his Christmas designs. He had a rather far fetched argument with me, but you were standing in the corner on his piano looking rather bored, you had your hair smoothed back and in a rather good business suit. I thought of you as a rather smart looking man back then"

"What the hell, I remember!" Tom laughed, "I thought you were really good for standing up to him and making good points, I wanted to make supporting arguments but I didn't because I knew that there would be a good chance that I would get fired"

"How crazy is that?"

"Jagged is stubborn with what he wants doesn't he?"

"His decisions were terrible then"

"Yeah. You gave me a agreeing eye roll when I left, wait, I remember I put a note in my phone, I'll look at it later"

"Bloody hell, it's a small world. We knew each other way back but we saw each other again, that's so cool"

They went and stepped into the onsen with a towel wrapped around their waists. They could already see that Marinette and Adrien were enjoying themselves.

"Aaah......nice and hot" Duusuu sighed.

"It's nice to be out of the miraculous again"

Once they stepped into the water, they took their towels off and placed them aside for Duusuu and Nooroo to rest on.

"Golly, that's hot" Gabriel said, as he got into the bath slowly.

"That's nothing" Tom got in swiftly, "It's only fifty measly degrees"

"You tell me" Gabriel gaped at him in surprise that he can get in without any trouble. He got in there eventually, and they could hear Adrien and Marinette laughing together. Then Plagg came in, soaked.

"What's wrong, soggy?" Tom made a frown.

"They keep splashing each other, and being cheesy, I needed to get out of there" the kwami explained before ruffling his fur of water. "Ugh"

"Come join us Plagg" Duusuu said and Plagg joined them to rest peacefully.

"Aaah.......now this is the stuff"

"Yeah" Gabriel agreed.

Then the clear sliding door opened.

"Dad, is Plagg with you?" Adrien asked.

"Yes. He's with us"

"Great. Whoa, it's steamy in here" the boy stepped in, "How is the water?"

"Want to see how nice it is?"

"Yeah" Adrien came inside and put a foot in the water, "Whoa, that's hot!"

"It is isn't it?"

"Hey Marinette!" Adrien called out and Marinette stuck a head out of the door entrance.

"Yes?"

"Check out the water, it's really hot!"

"Erm, really? Is it really okay for me to come out?"

"Go ahead Marinette, don't be shy" Gabriel said.

"Oh, o-okay" Marinette stepped out, she turned out to be in a nice polka dot swimsuit that Adrien completely adored cause it looked perfect on her, advoiding looking at Gabriel, she put a foot in, "Ooooh! It's really hot!"

"Nah, it's not that hot" Tom replied.

"That's Japanese for ya" Marinette giggled before she slipped-  shrieking, their eyes widened, and she fell into the water.

"Marinette!" Adrien called out, but once she got up to the surface, Tom quickly got up to her.

"Are you okay miss?" He asked, as Marinette coughed.

"You didn't open your eyes in the water did you?"

"N-no......it's too hot to anyway"

"Come on, I'll pull you out, you're not supposed to have swimwear in the springs"

"Ah, yeah. Thanks" Tom pulled her up and helped her out,

"Thank you, I'm always so clumsy......"

"It's no worry"

"Are you alright Marinette?" Adrien asked her.

"Yeah, I fell but I'm intact"

Adrien gave her a relieved smile.

"How is the spa?"

"Oh" Adrien grinned, "There's so much bubbles"

"Enough to make a beard for Adrien" Marinette giggled.

"Ho ho ho!" Adrien mimicked Santa's hearty ho.

Gabriel laughed.

"You two better get back to the spa unless if you would like to see Nathalie naked" Tom warned. 

"Ah, right" The two teenagers scrambled back into their spa room. 

They laughed at their quick exit. 

"Ah, so young, pure and innocent" Tom chuckled, "At least, for their eyes"

Gabriel snorted. "True"

Then Nathalie comes in, "Hello"

"Hi!" Tom turned to her.

Gabriel kept his gaze away, "Hello, you might be more comfortable sitting next to Tom?"

"Of course, thank you" she came towards them with a towel around her body, "That massage worked wonders, thank you so much"

"My pleasure" 

As Nathalie made herself comfortable, Tom noticed Gabriel's gaze that was trying not to look at her. 

"Ha. Are you shyyyyyyy?" Tom teased. 

"I'm trying to be nice by not staring at her"

Nathalie rolled her eyes. "He's a proper gentleman"

"I can see that. But a mixed bath is very natural man" 

"I wasn't raised to get used to it"

"I can stand up and you can stare at me until you get used to it" Tom offered. 

"No thank you"

Nathalie laughed at that offer. 

"So why does Emilie make an exception? Cause she's beautiful?"

"Yeess....."

"So don't change your ways, change your attitude. Don't think about avoiding her because she's naked, look at her in the eyes the proper way like she's a person, not a prostitute"

"Hey!" Gabriel's head whipped around to see Tom and argue but Nathalie was right there beside him, giggling. 

"Transsexual people teach you a lot of things don't they?" She patted Tom on the back. 

"I was just kidding about the prostitute thing" Tom chuckled.

"Erm....." Gabriel blushed at his fault, now he had to pay attention to her properly, "Er.....hi?"

Nathalie waved. 

Gabriel waved back awkwardly, and as his hand was raised, Tom started laughing. 

"Oh my god! You're pink!" Tom pointed at Gabriel's arm and the man frowned. "Thanks"

"That's what you get for being in hot water" Nathalie said, "I'm going to turn pink too"

"What if we put Plagg in and he turned pink and fluffy?"

"Don't even think about it!!!" Plagg barked and the rest of the kwami laughed. 

"Maybe I'll spray him pink as a prank later" Tom whispered. 

"I heard that!!"

"Plagg is a rascal, I bet ten you can do it" Gabriel whispered back as he liked the idea. 

"And then Chat Noir would be pink for a week" Nathalie assumed. 

The adults shared a few giggles.

"Adrien is a model, I bet he can pull off being pink"

"Good luck then. I can make fun out of it for ages and tell his kids about it too"

A wide sly smile spread across Tom's face. 

 

Once they were finished in the open bath, they went back to their separate locker rooms to change. 

"So, on my phone after our last Jagged Stone encounter I said; "Hire the fine dressed Japanese man if Stone ever fires him, he has a good opinion in which I could make use of in the company, he reminds me of someone" huh, even I had a feeling then......."

"Oh wow, I'm flattered, you wanted to hire me" Tom said in awe. 

"It seems so" Gabriel closed his notes app and Tom then saw his wallpaper, "Hold it, is that you and Emilie?" 

"Yeah. Before she disappeared, I always keep it with me"

Emilie and Gabriel were side by side as they were taking a photo. 

"I do that too, myself and Jake I mean....."

"The picture you gave me to show right?"

"That"

Tom hummed in thought for a moment, he knew that his best friends heart would be torn apart when he tells him, and the pictures they have of their loved ones would increase his pain. So he thought of something that would remind him of the present, so he go out his own phone and rose it up above them. 

"Gabriel"

"Yeah?"

"Smile"

As Gabriel noticed the camera, he got up close to his friend and Tom took a photo. 

"What's the occasion?" Gabriel asked. 

"Well..........best friends, new beginnings I guess. Instead of thinking about what I have lost, I'd look at what I have right now. You" 

He set the photo to his main wallpaper. As they both stared at it, they gradually came to smile upon it. 

"Send me a copy?"

"I will"

"Oh"

"Yeah?"

"Would you mind drinking with me tonight?"

 "Huh?" Tom gave a surprised look.

 

After dinner, they started making a move to the hotel front door.  

"Nathalie, we are going to the hotel bar okay? We will be back by ten" Gabriel said as he and Tom grabbed their jackets by the front door.

"Okay, drink safe"

"You can always come join us anytime"

Nathalie sighed as they left.

Then the next thing she noticed, she had put the teens to bed ages ago, it was midnight and she wondered what those idiots were up to.

But then they came back before she decided to go and look for them. They were drunk. Gabriel was happy, while Tom held him upright, so she guessed Gabriel had more, but still drunk.

"Seriously you two, you're both two hours past the time you said you were coming back"

"Sorry, we're politely buzzed" Gabriel admitted with a big smile on his face.

"He had five whiskeys, a shot and a beer" Tom explained.

"What about you Tom?" Nathalie crossed her arms.

"One" Gabriel said.

"What?!"

".....half"

"Lightweight" Nathalie grumbled, "Seriously, get inside and make yourselves decent!"

"Yes ma'am!" They saluted, giggling, they walked into the kitchen. Nooroo and Duusuu came out,

"They had a very good time. But they're also very irresponsible" Nooroo commented.

Nathalie got them a glass of water. "Here, these should take you off a bit"

As the two men received them, they thought they were alcohol and cheered, shooting them into the air.

Then the unthinkable.

 

_"Skumps!"_

_"Skumps!"_

_"A toast to this night~"_

_"The outlook is rosy"_

_"-But the future is bright~"_

_"Our children will marry, Our kingdoms unite,"_

_"Scumps!"_

_"Scumps!"_

_"Scuuuuuuumps!!!"_

 

_"Skumps!"_

_"Skumps!"_

_"A toast to the home!"_

_"One grander by far than a palace in Rome!"_

_"Ah, let me fill up your glass, That glass was all foam!"_

_"Skumps! Skumps! Skuuuuumps!"_

 

[Skumps from Sleeping Beauty]

 

They were singing Disney songs. As they linked their cups together they downed their water in one gulp before Gabriel asked for some more.

Nathalie face palmed. "You two.....just get into bed, it's late"

"Okey dokey!" Nathalie took their cups off them and followed them into their room as they sang god bless America.

"What on earth happened?" Nathalie asked the kwami's.

"We slept through most of it, until we woke up, they were wobbling around, not until then did we realise that they were drunk" Nooroo explained. 

"Ugh. Go to sleep in my room, I'll make sure that they get to bed safe, I'm sure you two must be tired"

"Are you sure?" Duusuu asked. 

"Yes, I have handled Gabriel in these similar situations before, I'm sure I can handle another"

"Okay, we will see you when you get back" The two kwami's nodded before they left for Nathalie's room. 

She then quickly followed after Gabriel and Tom into their rooms. 

Gabriel, still a bit pink, was undressing along with Tom, they were getting groggy and tired so they just discarded their clothes on the floor, leaving themselves with just boxers on. 

Even just the lights on, she noticed that they wore the same Gabriel boxers and she almost snorted at the revelation. But they're men's right? Tom would have to cut the front down and sew it back up so it wouldn't look baggy on him. 

The two yawned, before slumping onto the bed, not even tucking themselves in, Nathalie sighed and moved up to try and grab the blanket. 

But before if she could, Gabriel, being drunk, slapped her away. 

"Ow!" She hissed a bit, "What was that for?"

Gabriel sent a low growl, before he grabbed the blanket himself, and put it over his best friend, leaving himself uncovered but put an arm over Tom protectively. 

She was really surprised, Gabriel was protecting his friend! Maybe he thought she was a stranger trying to hit on him, so he stepped in to protect his comfort zone. 

Then Tom, opening his eyes a bit, got the blanket over Gabriel......and snuggled right up to him.

She felt no pang of jealousy, it was simply adorable. Not being able to help it, she opened her phone, turned it to silent, and took a photo. Quickly putting it away in her pocket, she snuck out, turned the lights off and closed the door. 

 

 

"Tom?"

"Yes buddy?"

"You have the same boxers as me, but you must have to adjust them"

"Yeah, I had to learn how to sew so I could cut out the excess and sew it back in so it's flat and not baggy"

"I should make some transgender designs then"

"That will be wonderful. Thank you"

 

.....

"You're poking me"

"Sorry, that was an accident"

"You're still poking me"

"Still an accident. I'm drunk"

"So am I"

 

...

 

 

"Hnmm....."

"Hmm?" Gabriel heard Tom mumbling. 

Then he felt him curl up. 

"Something wrong?"

 

.....

 

 

 

 

 


	24. Day 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you guys haven't realised....... when I write, I don't put a z in things like:
> 
> realize  
> realise
> 
> I replace it with an s, the reason for that is that I don't live in America (I live in Australia), English where I live use an s in the language, you may find it strange but because there isn't a listed keyboard around for Australian English.  
> Australian english is a little different, I do come upon red lines below words I write...... well, they make sense anyway. I hope they do.
> 
> Also......I drew Gabriel and Tom! Just to get a picture, I was never able to draw Gabriel....but I managed!! YAY! Here is the link to see it: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1J376CX6yh-RvnGyiZSsalymHruo76rNx
> 
> PS. Mery_Chan27, I am always looking forward to your messages, they are always brightening my days whenever I make another chapter!! Thnks so much!!
> 
> Things seem down, but I still aim to make Gabriel happy!!! There has got to be a happy ending for him and Adrien <3 <3 There are roller coasters of emotions.

_++Tom found himself in the land of white light again, and he took in his surroundings._

_Gabriel isn't around._

_"Emilie!!!" He called._

_"I've got to get to the bottom of things" he thought, "To make sure that I'm not wrong-"_

_"Tom?" Emilie spoke from behind him, he spun around to meet the lovely lady again and she smiled, "It's nice to see you again"_

_"You too, I mean.......I came here to clear something up"_

_"Clear something? She looked surprised, "What?"_

_"Erm, you told me that you we're in a spiritual plane, could you clarify that?"_

_"Of course, here, is where my spirit rests. I'm separated from my body"_

_"You mean.......you're dead?"_

_She nodded._

 

_It took a while to register._

 

_Oh._

 

 

 

_Oh_

 

 

_"WHAT!?!" He recovered._

_"Didn't Gabriel tell you?" She asked, almost chuckling at his reaction, Tom was aghast._

_"No he didn't! He told me how he lost you and how much he loves you......how did you die?"_

_"Car crash, at least that's what I remember, I went out before I could take in anything about what happened"_

_Tom gulped, and caught his breath._

_"Oh.......do you remember a hospital?"_

_"An ambulance, yes"_

_"We're there many people around?"_

_"I ran out in the dead of morning, so no. Everyone was asleep, I doubt anyone could have heard any screaming, but....I don't know"_

_"What about people visiting you?"_

_"Well, there was Nathalie before I closed my eyes for good"_

 

 

_Nathalie._

_So it is Nathalie, his suspection was right._

_Is she hiding her from Gabriel?_

_If so, then why?_

_Why would she?_

_If she did then how did she hide her? And where? At what hospital?_

_If she hid her, then how did she pay the hopsital expenses?_

_Is she even still in the hospital?_

_Is it too late?_

 

_"Is there something wrong?" She asked._

_"Why were you running in the dead of the morning?" He asked._

_She sighed, "Well, that night before I figure out that Hawkmoth was him. And......that his akumas could be trying to make a change for my sake, knowing him, when he makes a mistake, he tries to fix it, even the worst of ones"_

_She took her time to continue, "I........knowing that he was terrorising Paris for my sake, capturing the miraculous only meant one thing, he wanted to do something right, to reverse what he did. And I couldn't handle it, I thought that Gabriel was suffering because of my absence" she started to cry, remembering that, "I couldn't handle knowing that he truly loved me and wanted to fix our relationship but it was wrong, all wrong, and I ran out there, to see him again because I missed him, tell him that I love him, and to tell him to stop and make him see more sense. But.......I never got home....."_

_"Why didn't I explain to him what he was doing wrong and suggest to him better tactics, and talk it out instead of telling him that he was a bad Father and husband, and leave......" she sobbed, "I should have thought better, it was all my fault......"_

_"No" Tom shook his head, "Gabriel chose to do it, he blames himself because it's his action alone, not yours"_

_Emilie smiffed, "He does?"_

_Tom nodded, "He loves you so so much Emilie, thanks to Adrien, he fixed himself, the right way"_

_"Really?"_

_"He did. He stopped, and he listened, then he started making a change. He's spending time with Adrien, making friends, like me, getting out of the house, you should be proud of him"_

_Emilie sniffed and went to hug Tom, "Thank you for telling me that, I was out wondering around once when Adrien saw me. I was surprised but I can't get much contact like that, so thank you"_

_Tom nodded, "My pleasure"_

_"Is.......there anything I can do for you?"_

_"Well......." he let her go and looked around, "Can you contact other souls?"_

_"Yes, I can"_

_"Then.......could you go to the twin towers and see if you can find someone for me?"_

_"You lost someone?" She looked up at him._

_"Yeah, his name is Jake Harrison. Red hair, hazel eyes, freckles on the cheeks, he's unique, you can't miss him. I lost him seventeen years ago and haven't seen him since, I miss him, like really badly. Could you.....please take him here for me?" He asked, almost driven to tears, "I love him so much, I just want to see him for just one more time....."_

_"Of course, I'll find him for you. Tomorrow night?"_

_"Please, thank you, this means so much to me"_

_"And thank you for giving me your information about Gabriel, I feel more at peace since he has made a better person out of himself, he was always a shy man, it's good to hear that he's finally out of his shell"_

_"Yeah, I really hope I get to see Jake again"_

_"And you look after Gabriel for me okay?"_

  _Tom nodded._

 

_"Does she really don't know that Gabriel doesn't know that she's dead? Should I tell her?"  He thought._

_....._

_"I don't know. I'll work it out eventually, not now"_

 

_"Till tomorrow"_

_"I'll bring Jake, don't you worry"_

_"Thank you....."_

 

He woke up. 

 

 

 

 

Gabriel felt a faint tapping on his chest, and then his forehead, which hurt like hell, eventually he was able to open his eyes. 

"Arrrrrggghhhhh.......my heaaaadd...." He groaned and brought a hand to his head. "How much did we driiinkkk??" 

He turned to Tom who looked worried, and a little pale. "Dude, you okay?" 

"Hangover headache.........uuuuugh.....you?" 

"Gabriel, open your eyes and look down properly" Tom said. 

Gabriel made used his energy to sit up, and that's when he noticed that something was wrong. 

"Huh? Where's my under......wear....." 

_"Oh god!"_

His eyes widened before he took the sheets off and realised that he was naked, topping it all off, there's still protection on him. 

"I think we did more than just drink......." Tom added, "I can't get up, my legs are jelly" He attempted to push himself up but he fell down to the mattress. 

Worry filled Gabriel completely. 

"Oh my god, I'm so so sorry....."

"Don't.....it's both our fault, we're both guys, we both chose to drink and this is what happened. Only we don't remember anything"

"No no, Tom.....we should have known better.  _I_ should have know better to take better care of you, I hope this doesn't violate our relationship....."

Tom sensed his worry, "It doesn't, I won't let it. Besides, it doesn't hurt so you didn't force yourself on me, I only assume that we either helped each other or had a friendly activity"

"But......I feel responsible, I'm the male here"

"Gabriel, I'm not a woman and I'd prefer you not do so"

"I could have impregnated you, I'd feel awful for destroying your hopes and dreams"

"Ah, well, there's that put I'm on the pill"

"Still, you're not full term on the pill"

Tom looked at Gabriel, who is still taking the fault. 

"Man or woman Tom, if I invaded your personal space without your permission or violated your body without consent, I'd never forgive myself"

Gabriel felt horrible, Tom's his friend.....his best friend, how could he.  _"How could I.....?'_

Tom watched as tears rose to the mans eyes. 

"Gabriel. I trust that you will never purposely hurt me. You're my best friend, your'e always nice, considerate of others and I know that you would never purposely hurt me or even think for a second to inappropriately touch me. So don't feel bad, please" 

Gabriel suppressed the will to cry and harshly sniffed, "Give me a moment to clean myself up....." he got up and headed to the bathroom, before he found his boxers on the floor, put them on and came over to Tom again. 

"I'm sorry"

"I'm sorry too. I could have lead you on, we don't know. Don't blame yourself" 

Gabriel let out a soft breath and smiled, "You're right, what have I done to deserve you?" 

"You don't treat me like a freak like some people do"

"You're a person Tom, not a freak an you're not to be treated as such"

"Neither you should be treated as an object"

"What are you saying.....?"

"Some people don't really realise that sometimes the clothes that they buy are made and designed by someone who actually has a life, and you don't have to live up to what they expect of you. You're allowed to be a little greedy"

_"Erm......yeah....but...."_

"You are not just a fashion designer, you are Gabriel, a loving husband, Father, friend, and so much more. Business is not the only thing that matters, and letting a little bit of everything in your life is not the end of the world. If no one can see that, then they have very boring and lonely lives"

"So what are you trying to point out here?"

"Gabriel, when I first saw you, as Gabriel, the fashion designer on TV........I thought.....poor Gabriel, everyone expects something of him, to fit in a little box.....he wants to pursue his career but sometimes the guy just might want a lovey house in the countryside while others expect him to fill this perfect roll that they want to see. You're not perfect. And you can't have fun with all those people such as the journalists, the tabloids, talking rumors about your private live. You're a human, not a god. No one wants to be forced into a position to keep up appearances for the sake of their family's safety, it's not fair on you, or Emilie, or Adrien. Just leave the guy alone to live his own life"

Gabriel gaped at him, when he realised that he was right. Maybe.......this is what Emilie was trying to say to him, though......he was so blind to his own work that he didn't realise what kind of hole that he dug himself. 

"You're absolutely right"

Tom smiled. 

"How on earth did you figure it out?"

"After hearing your story on how you lost Emilie and how Adrien got you back up after we met again, and then being with you for a while, I put the pieces together"

"God........you are a wonder"

"Nah I'm not, you on the other hand, are a hero, you're handsome, good looking, even with glasses on, your hair looks like I want to mess it up, you're funny, you don't feel shame in expressing embarrassment despite your pride and big ego-"

"Hey!"

"You have wondrous abs that I'd really die to have- no kidding- you're soft, charming, loving, a great cuddler, fabulous, talented, I really like your hands, you're caring, protective, trustworthy, definitely boyfriend material but it's a shame you're not gay....."

Gabriel giggled at the compliments. 

"And....." Tom smiled wetly with rising tears, "You're........very kind to me......and.....the best friend in the world that I'd ever wish for, only that I......I...."

Gabriel frowned when Tom sniffed. 

"I really don't deserve you after all those years of being all alone......"

"Oh.......you deserve everything Tommo" Gabriel put his arms around his friend, "You don't deserve to be alone forever"

"But......what if I lose you too?"

"You won't, you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because when we're in Paris, or America, either, and we go out in the field, we will be protecting each other"

"Hmm......" Tom started picturing it in his mind. 

"Because when we fight, we fight together as partners. And we stick together, because that is what we will do, and there is no way that you don't deserve me and that I don't deserve you. It's what our loved ones want for us, to have someone to hold on to when we don't have them"

_"Gabriel is right, I have him to hold on to, when Jake is gone.....so he can lead me with him, but when I tell him that his wife is gone, he'll be so sad......and heartbroken........Emilie will need me around to be with him, Adrien can't do that, he's young......I want to be there for him, to give back the same gift he gave me. Himself, just his presence.....and love, assuring me that such a path is painful, but there is always light at the end of the road. He's right, I deserve him as much as he deserves me"_

"Yeah" He said. 

Gabriel smiled, happy that he's okay. 

"Other than that......we need to get ourselves to a doctor"

"What? Why?"

"I'm still worried"

"I was worried that I might have lead you on Gabriel"

"Heh, I'm glad. I was worried that I might have ruined your hopes and dreams"

"Naaah. I haven't had sex in ages, I'm still tingly, so I might thank you for that" 

Gabriel barked a laugh. 

"But I don't remember a damn thing" He pouted. 

"Oh I'm  _sorry_ " 

"But there's one thing you're taking responsibility for"

".........What?" Gabriel held his breath, what is he taking responsibility for?

"My legs! I. CAN'T. MOVE" He stated the obvious. 

"Oh, phew" 

Tom's eyes glowered. "Really"

"I'll piggyback you to the doctors" he suggested. 

"Wait. What?" 

 

 Nathalie's eyes twitched when she saw the scene before her along two kwami that were wondering about what they were thinking. 

Tom was rested on top of Gabriel's shoulders. 

"Erm, are you two still drunk?" She asked. 

"We're not out of our minds, I'm hungover so we are going out. To get meds" Gabriel explained. 

"Any explanation for Tom?"

"I......fell over" He said embarrassingly, "I hurt my ankle so I'm getting it checked out"

Nathalie sighed, believing their made up story. 

"There's cereal in the cupboard for the youth. If that's no trouble....."

"They're catching up on schoolwork today, but text me so I know if you can get back for lunch"

"Okay. Thanks. Sorry for the trouble, did we waddle in?"

"You certainly did" Nooroo scolded.

"But well......you wouldn't let me touch Tom, you we're rather protective" Nathalie added. 

"What?" Gabriel was surprised at this information. 

"Really? Thanks for doing that, we wouldn't like people preying on me right?" Tom asked. 

"No. Of course not"

Tom hugged Gabriel, at least, his head, which is all he could reach. 

Nathalie got out her phone and showed them the photo she took. Both males paled. 

"Erm......that......"

"I think it's rather cute actually" she admitted. 

Gabriel pressed his lips firmly together in embarrassment and Nathalie giggled. "That's a good look for you"

"You know what. We will be late for the doctors appointment so we'll leave. Duusuu, Nooroo, come"

"Coming~" Duusuu said with a smug face, Nooroo was chortling. 

Tom was smirking at Gabriel's face. 

"Shut up" 

"Have a good time then" Nathalie teased. 

"Ugh" 

 

Once they got outside, people instantly started staring as they made their way to the doctors. 

"The press would make a field day out of this....." Gabriel groaned. 

"Gabriel cheating on a guy who is taking a piggy back.....who would believe that?"

Gabriel snorted. "True"

"And the view up here is rather nice"

"Just be thankful that I can even carry your weight in the first place, you're light"

"It's because I eat healthily"

"Thank god for me" 

"But you know what, if someone recognises you, like the French American news, we gotta like, seriously run"

"But you can't even walk" 

"We can think of something"

"Great" Gabriel ground his teeth. 

"But you're not wearing glasses and you haven't hair sprayed your hair so that's a plus"

"Thanks for the note of confidence"

"But if Hawkmoth we're spotted.........I would imagine an army going after you"

"That........does not help" Gabriel held his breath as he imagined that. 

"It's better that we keep out of sight, but the American's might be more forgiving of you, since that it starting to open up on the French news that you've been a hero before"

"Why is it that I like the fact that you're realistic, but still try to cheer me up anyway?"

"That's because we don't know what the future will bring, even if the future might be bad, or either good"

Gabriel smiled at the reassurance, so he kept going with confidence.

 

_"Keep yourself together Tom, conceal your feelings for as long as you can, you want Gabriel to be happy even if it's just for a while before I tell him.......I told him that I will and I won't back up on that"_

 

Once they got to the doctors waiting room in a clinic they held their breath for an examination, to make sure that they're okay. 

Then the doctor came out of the door. 

 

**"Gabriel Agreste?"** the man called out. 

"Here. Come Tom" Gabriel and Tom got up and joined the doctor, entering his office and closing the door. 

**"So, my name is Dr Williams, what can I do for you two today?"** He asked as Tom and Gabriel sat down in a chair in front of the doctors desk. 

**"Er, well"** Gabriel remembered that they brought their kwamis with them and they will hear but they may as well find out. 

**"Tom and I are friends, we drank a bit too much last night and had sex so we thought we better come to get checked for any STI's as a precaution"**

The doctor eyed them curiously. **"You poor bastards. So you two came in at the best time, come on up, I'll check you one at a time"**

**"I'd rather have a female doctor having a look at Tom"**

Tom whipped his head to Gabriel in surprise.  **  
**

**"He's transgender you see, still has his vagina"**

Tom blushed,  **"I still have my medical history if you need it......"**

Dr Williams eyebrows rose up to his hairline much to their surprise, and to his. 

**"Of course, I'll bring one right up and have you both examined separately"**

As the doctor went out the door, he muttered **"Lucky bastards"**. 

 

A female doctor came in to take a wobbling Tom away and Gabriel got examined separately. 

 

**"Do a pregnancy test just in case Tom okay?"** The lovely light brown haired doctor said as she handed him a test stick. 

**"Ah.....well, really?"**

**"Yes"**

**"O-o-kay....."**

After taking a pregnancy test, his doctor took a few samples of his mouth, other areas of his body and examined him, much to his embarrassment, but he was glad that it was a woman examining him. 

**"Test is negative"** She walked back into the office from where she took her tests to,  **"Your results will be in tomorrow, thanks to your famous......friend"**

**"Really? Thanks, that's a convenience, since I won't be in the country for long. Can.....I get back to my pal?"**

 

He got back to Gabriel in no time, much to his relief. 

"Are you okay?" Gabriel asked. 

"Yeah, It was weird being prodded around"

The doctor was really jealous of me" 

Tom wiggled his eyebrows playfully and got punched in the side for the fun of it. 

"Well, we are not out of the woods, till we get those results, we will know if we have to worry" 

"Of course" 

 

Meanwhile, Nathalie headed to the bar to see if she could find out what exactly happened last night. Seating herself in front of where the bartender worked. 

**"Hello, I would like to speak to the person that was managing the bar last night"** Nathalie asked.

The guy standing there drying cups nodded, **"I was here. Is there any trouble ma'am?"**

**"Er no, do you remember two french men here at nine last night?"**

**"Oh those fellows! Oh yeah"** he chuckled, **"They semed to have had really nice conversations with each other in French. They hit it off very well, until the Japanese fellow had a cider and quickly got out of it and bet blonde guy to take a shot, that's when things went wild. They sang karaoke like pros, and Japanese guy won the lottery thanks to his bud man, they howl and made good friends with the rest of the fellows in the bar last night. Blondie gave me a drink, they speak good English, real nice. Don't mind them, they were great company except for when they started speaking Japanese or something instead of French. That's when I figured that black haired man was Japanese. But lady, I know people, out of all of the drunken people I know, I don't think I've seen good buds like that ever"**

Nathalies jaw dropped, **"Just....erm.....how much money?"**

 

"ONE MILLION DOLLARS?!" Tom gasped deeply.

"Yes..."

"ONE.....MILLION....."

"Yes....but will you-"

"THAT'S......A LOT OF DOLLARS!"

Tom was in a lot of shock, he grabbed his hair and screamed mentally.

"Welcome to first class" Gabriel said, he really wasn't in the mood with the hangover he was having, it was really seeping in after the energy he burned from carrying Tom to and back from the clinic, he had become exhausted. He wanted to be happy for his friend but he couldn't.

"So.....we didn't cause any trouble?" Tom asked.

"Apparently you two were an absolute pleasure to have around"

"And once we got back, we didn't do anything weird?"

"I watched you two drop into bed, the walls are thick, so I didn't hear anything after"

"So you weren't going to tell her you two had sex?" Nooroo said firmly. 

"WHAT?!" Nathalie screeched. 

"I really don't have time for this Nooroo......" Gabriel shook his head tiredly. 

Nooroo was obviously angry. 

"I should have watched over you two!!" Nooroo squawked and Duusuu, cowered in fear, Nooroo could be vicious when he can be. 

"It's not your fault, it's theirs" Nathalie stated. 

"Of course......." Nooroo turned to the two adults, "YOU GUYS ARE SO IRRESPONSIBLE!!!"

"But.....what happened happened!" Tom argued, he had retreated back at the kwami's outburst and replied calmly, "We went to the doctors, got ourselves checked, and then we can focus on what we can do next. It's a good thing that we're taking responsibility and doing something about it!" 

"But you shouldn't have been drinking when you know you're Japanese and have low tolerance!" 

"But.....I wanted to enjoy myself, I drank water in the beginning.......it's not my fault I'm Japanese.....besides, I trust Gabriel. He didn't hurt me....."

Nooroo sighed, "No, let me rephrase that, .........you've got to be in more control"

"You know what, I think Tom has had enough for today" Gabriel announced angrily, "He's been prodded about, and we discussed about this this morning, we are adults and we can handle our situations ourselves. The last thing that we want is people pointing at our mistakes rather than helping us improve our tactics for the future. I really don't like you yelling at poor Tom while I'm around, Nooroo"

"Ah....." Nooroo got silent. 

"We will be in our room" Gabriel said softly and took Tom's hand to take him away. 

 

"He's right. Yelling won't help. Whatever they do, we have to help them the right way and support them when they need it" Nathalie said. 

"Ye-ah......."

Nooroo felt bad after all that. He was angry but that was no excuse, even after being a millennium old, kwami still make mistakes. Because over time, tactics change. 

Time to talk to Tikki about this. 

 

"I'm so sorry about Nooroo" Gabriel said as they got inside their room. 

"No.......it's okay" Tom inhaled, "I'm fine. I'll just......play piano on my phone or something"

"Look. Nooroo can go overboard when he's angry. Kwami can be feisty"

Tom smiled. 

 

"Erm, Gabriel?"

"Yes?'

"Was........last night a mistake?"

 

Gabriel felt his heart stop for a moment, he knew that......if he said yes, it would seem like he was confessing a 'I love you' but this is his friend, he was glad that he's healthy and unhurt, that's all that matters. But this question......was asking him to search his heart. He knew that it wasn't a mistake, so the sex wasn't wrong? But it was, he did something foolish against Emilie. _His_ Emilie. 

_But it's not a mistake._

 

"No......no, it's not a mistake. You're my friend, I'm glad you're unharmed and healthy"

Tom smiled. "Thanks, that answer brings relief"

 

...

"Tom. I do love you" He admitted, "And.......I hope for many great things to come, one of them being able to be with you. Because I know.....that you deserve love"

 

Tom blinked. "Really?"

 

_"What the heck, what do I feel for Tom?  Why don't I feel like it's a mistake even when I'm married? Why don't I feel sorry for myself for what I did? I just got worried and didn't address what I did......"_

He felt a pang in his heart.

_"What the heck is wrong with me? He's just a friend isn't he? Why do I care about him so much.....?"_

_...._

 

_"Have I......"_

_"Fallen...............?"_

 

"Gabriel?" Tom asked, his eyes were wide in surprise. "Why are you crying?"

Gabriel brought his hands up to his face and touched the tears on his cheeks. "Wha...."

"Are you okay?" Tom walked up to Gabriel, hurriedly putting a hand in his pocket to get his handkerchief out. 

Gabriel received it and wiped his eyes, only to be replaced by more tears. His heart broke. 

_"What about Emilie....? How stupid am I....? Why.....why......?"_

He bit his lip and cried. 

"Gabe......." Tom looked into his eyes and tears started shining in his own eyes.

"What? Why are you crying too?"

"Because you're sad and I don't know why......."

 

_"Oh Tom, you caring- oh god I don't know what to think....."_

 

"I......I want a hug......" Gabriel sniffed. 

"Oh......here, you can have a hug, up you come" He let Gabriel put his arms around him, "There......you can hold me for as long as you need"

 

_"Why......why did I do it in the first place? If he truly is a friend then why did I have sex with him....?"_

 

He listened to his heart, it's beating, it loves Emilie, but it also cares and cherishes Tom. 

 

_"I need to work this out, on my own"_

 

"Tom, could you give me a moment, alone by myself?. I'll just......stay in the hall out our hotel room"

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I need to work something out. Thank you for the hug, I'll........be back in a minute or two"

"Okay, take the time you need"

Gabriel nodded, he wiped his eyes and went out. 

 

_"I could feel a little bit of his sadness but......I wonder what's wrong?"_ Tom thought. 

 

Fifteen minutes later, Nathalie came in. 

"Hey Tom, where's Gabriel?" She asked. 

"He had to step out for a bit.....erm...." he checked the time, "What? Gabriel hasn't been back yet"

"Where did he go?" 

"Out the front door"

"Okay, I'll go and see if he's there"

 

Thirty seconds later he heard Nathalie run back to the room in a hurry. 

"HE'S NOT THERE" She shouted, and Tom shot up from his seat at the desk. 

"What?!"

"A painting is on the floor, it's a sign of struggle, he could have been kidnapped!" She whisper shouted, so Adrien won't hear.

"Does that happen?!" 

"Er.....once in a lifetime"

"SHIT" He ran out of the room, and called out for Duusuu, in which he found with Nooroo. 

"Tom! I don't feel Gabriel!" Nooroo came out with worry. 

"I'm worried!" Duusuu squeaked. 

"Don't worry about Adrien, Duusuu, feathers fly!" 

He transformed on the spot before he let Nooroo hide inside his feathers. "Let's go" 

He ran out of the hotel, ignoring the startled looks from people, he got to the roof of the hotel and looked around for anything suspicious. 

"Nooroo, do we have communicators?" He asked. 

"Use your sword, swipe along the blade!" Nooroo said. 

He did that and a communicator menu opened, locating Gabriel, as to where his miraculous is, he found him moving fast along the road. 

"I'm coming buddy" He put away his sword and jumped off, his tail spreading wide so he could glide through the air. 

Following the roads in the direction where Gabriel was going, he found a black van going up a bit fast. 

"Gabriel!" He exclaimed, he set himself down, and landed on the van with a heavy thump. Then he ran to the back where it was black behind the window, there must be a curtain inside so he got to the front windscreen. 

**"WHERE IS GABRIEL?!"** He shouted and the driver screeched, he didn't expect a peacock to just show up. 

Next thing, the passenger door thumped and he made his move fast. He withdrew his sword and smashed the window which immediately shattered into millions of pieces, jumping inside, without any fighting knowledge, he kicked, holding the guy's neck against the corner of the door but barely held the wheel. 

**"OPEN. THE. BACK"** Tom demanded, his voice low before he made a birdlike hiss. 

**"You're crazy man!"** The guy refused and he was wasting time, so he jumped out of the seat and went back to the roof, where he got his sword, angled it right and stabbed it in, before forcibly prying the door open. 

He just felt his strength and went at it, before the heard gunshots behind him, the driver was trying to aim right while shooting at him. 

Then the door opened by hand, as someone inside leaned out and pointed a gun at his face. 

His instincts got him to pull up his sword and reflect the bullet back onto the guy's hand, which got him to let go of his gun and injure him a little bit. Straight away, he swooped right in and there was Gabriel, tied up, with tape on his mouth but he focused on the kidnapper instead. 

**"YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE"** He growled, with his tail fanning outright in anger.

The kidnapper inside just went pale with fear before he was knocked unconscious by Le Paon's tail with a loud smack. 

Nooroo then came out, "Gabriel!"

Gabriel looked at Nooroo gratefully before Tom put down his tail and started untying him, "Gabriel, I'm so sorry....." 

Gabriel, with the tape on his mouth mumbled gratefully. 

he undid his wrists, then his ankles before he took the tape off. 

"Gabriel-"

"Tom!" He threw his arms around Tom, "I never thought I'd see you again!"

"Wha- Emilie would be worried about you, I told her that I'd take care of you"

"You fulfilled that, but you also fulfilled me"

Wait.....what?"

"You don't get it, that was the most horrifying fifteen minutes of my life because I thought I'd lose you and you'd lose me. I care about you, and I love you Tom, and.......and... I don't know what to do about it"

"You mean....."

"I'm in a pickle. But I want you to be happy, and I want to be happy too. But we have to discuss this later, not now, because now we got to bloody get out of here" 

Tom smiled. "Okay" he said softly, "Transform. We will get out of here"

"Okay. Nooroo, wings rise"

 

 

Marinette and Adrien were doing their schoolwork catch up when the tv next to them started showing a breaking news report. 

**_"Next up, we have breaking news of reports sighting a huge human peacock on the back of a rampage van-"_ **

Adrien perked up in surprise and took a look at the screen before he saw Tom transformed, as the picture went, Hawkmoth came out. 

"MARINETTE!!" 

Marinette shot up in fright just a few spaces away from him, having her own pile of books among her, "What?! What is it Adrien?!" 

Adrien pointed at the screen with his mouth hung open and she turned to look at it. 

"WHAT!?"

Tikki's face fell in shock and Plagg dropped his cheese in surprise, gasping. 

_**"It seems that the second man there next to him is Paris's villian Hawkmoth and a suspected hero of 9/11 which is not yet confirmed-"** _

"WHAT ARE THEY DOINGGGGG?!" Tikki shrieked. 

 

"Come on Hawkmoth, we have to stop the van!" Le Paon said. 

"I know, and I don't have any damn butterflies!" Hawkmoth replied. 

Tom tried to think of something, "Wait- use one of my feathers!" He plucked out one and gave it to him, "Wonderful idea!"

He gave it his own power and dropped it throw the windscreen in which he got his visor up,  **"Dear gentleman, I have an offer for you in which you will be able to get whatever you desire. If you stop, I will grant you powers in which no one will be able to ever arrest you again! In return, you must return me Gabriel Agreste. Do we have a deal?"**

**"Yes Hawkmoth!"** Was his reply. 

The van stopped suddenly, and the next thing Hawkmoth withdrew his butterfly which did nothing at all, only weaken him rather than strengthen him before Le Paon pulled him out of his seat and got him to the ground. 

Hawkmoth got the other guy from the back and brought back the ropes to tie the two criminals up, that's when the police showed up, cars, guns and all, shouting at them to put their hands up. 

Putting their hands up, Hawkmoth tked, and used his foot to push one of the criminals forward. 

**"Those two kidnapped Gabriel Agreste, he's fine now, we released him"** Hawkmoth explained. 

**"Erm......I'm new"** Le Paon explained awkwardly. 

One officer came forward, and they took the criminals away, before they thanked them for their services. 

**"Erm, you're not going to arrest me?"** Hawkmoth asked. 

**"You have done criminal action in Paris, not here. As far as I know, you're a hero here. So you both better leave before the French news gets here"**

**"Thank you officer"**

The officer nodded and they left to perch on a hidden building where they could safely talk. 

 

"Geez, that was an escapade for me" Tom said, taking a breath. 

"First time" Hawkmoth hummed, "I guess this makes us even. Thank you......"

Tom's heart clenched at his throat, "A pleasure.......erm, Gabriel, er......you love me as in.....?"

"To be honest I don't know what's happening to me, maybe my heart is moving on, I don't know. But what I do know is that when you tell me what happened to Emilie, that's when I can further sort out my feelings. I just....."

"Just what?"

"I just.........I don't have sex when drunk with someone without a particular reason, you know, when you're drunk you usually show your true hidden colors and feelings?"

"Yeah. I agree"

"I started questioning myself, our activity in sex wasn't a mistake, I know it and I feel it but.......shouldn't I feel bad about feeling that way? I'm married, I'm supposed to be ashamed of myself but I'm not. I love you, I don't mind it, I like the thought of doing it, it's like I'm sharing something with you, I want to show I care and that I want you to be happy it's just.........all screwed up"

Tom listened with a hint of rose in his cheeks that were covered by his mask. 

"Maybe........it's your heart starting to learn to involve others in your life, there are people who love their besties and want to care and want the best of them, you show no fear to do that. I think you're getting confused in the whole thing with your new feelings and you're scared that you might be in love, but it's not that love, you just don't take it as that sort otherwise you'll get yourself in a mess. But I must admit, this week has been an emotional roller coaster"

Gabriel slightly chuckled, "Yeah"

So Gabriel. Do you want to hold me?"

"Yeah....."

"Kiss me?"

"A little......"

"So there, I think you need to do a lot more soul searching. Take things slow, and don't rush. In the first place, maybe......the sex was a silly activity and didn't mean anything in the first place"

"Yeah.......you're right, maybe I should......rest for the rest of the day......" Gabriel sighed. 

Tom looked at him for a bit, "Come on, we better get back before Adrien and Marinette realise something is wrong"

 

When they got back, at the door, two teenagers, a relieved Nathalie, and two frantic kwami's were about. 

"What just happened?!" Adrien asked. 

"I got kidnapped and Tom came out to save me"

"Wait......WHAT!?" 

"Okay, that explains things" Marinette said. 

"A lot of things" Tikki agreed. "Well, at least it was the right thing"

"Thank you Tikki, Marinette. And Adrien, I'm so sorry, I must have worried you"

"You did. But I'm glad you're back safe" Adrien went ahead and hugged his Dad, Gabriel returned the gesture. 

"That's what matters" Nathalie said before turning to Tom, "Thank you"

"I'd do it again"

Nathalie hummed, "I'll order lunch"

"Thank you Nathalie. But Gabriel is quite beat"

"Yeah" Gabriel agreed, "Could you please bring lunch to the room?"

"Of course. Have some rest"

"Should we leave you be?" Nooroo asked. 

"Please"

Adrien gave his Dad a pat on the back, "I'm here if you need me Dad"

"Thank you Adrien. I'll see you when I feel better"

 

Gabriel was taken back inside his room by Tom and he took a good shower, as he came out, it seemed that Tom found his portable piano, it was a modern type that he carried around with him, you could take it out of it's attached side that gave it power and emitted sound, and the keys were flat with a rubber material. He was already playing notes on it.

Before he started singing a song, in which he didn't understand. 

 

薄紅の時を彩る花びら

ひらひら舞う光の中

僕は笑えたはず

 

鮮やかな日々に僕らが残した

砂の城は波に溶けて

きっと夢が終わる

 

真っ白な世界で目を覚ませば

伸ばす腕は何もつかめない

見上げた空が近くなるほどに

僕は何を失った？

 

透通る波

映る僕らの影は蒼く遠く

あの日僕は世界を知り

それは光となった

 

僕は歌うよ

笑顔をくれた君が泣いてるとき

ほんの少しだけでもいい

君の支えになりたい

 

僕が泣いてしまった日に

君がそうだったように

 

僕がここに忘れたもの

全て君がくれた宝物

_形のないものだけが_

_時の中で色褪せないまま_

 

_透通る波_

_何度消えてしまっても_

_砂の城を僕は君と残すだろう_

_そこに光を集め_

 

_僕は歌うよ_

_笑顔をくれた君が泣いてるとき_

_頼りのない僕だけれど_

_君のことを守りたい_

 

_遠く離れた君のもとへ_

_この光が_

空を越えて羽ばたいてゆく

そんな歌を届けたい

 

僕が送るものは全て

形のないものだけど

君の心の片隅で

輝く星になりたい

 

As the keys ended, Tom was smiling, but he had no idea what that meant. 

"I was thinking about what you said and your confusion, and I remembered this song. Would you like me to translate?" Tom asked. 

"Please"

And Tom started it again. 

 

_Petails painting the pink of twilight_

_In the dancing light_

_I think I managed to smile_

 

_The sandcastles we left behind on those brilliant days_

_Melt in the waves_

_The dream must be ending_

 

_As I wake in a world of pure white_

_My outstretched arms find nothing to hold_

_No matter how close the sky above_

_What have I lost?_

 

_Translucent waves_

_However many rise and fall_

_I'll leave these sandcastles with you_

_There I'll gather up the light_

 

_And sing_

_You made me smile, and when you cry_

_Even though I'm weak_

_I want to protect you_

_This light will beat it's wings_

_And cross the sky_

_To reach you, so far away_

_That's the song I want you to hear_

 

_Though everything I have to give_

_May have no form_

_I want to shine like a star_

_in a corner of your heart_

 

Tom exhaled when he finished. "Is this what you're feeling? You're reserved with Emilie, but your heart sways......to build something with someone else as a motion to move on......it's like you know....you know what happened to Emilie"

Tears dripped down Gabriel's face again. "Yeah.......that's.....that's it......."

Tom's face fell, "I think you should know about Emilie, it's been holding you back"

"If I need to know and it's the right thing to do for you to tell me, please tell me"

Tom sighed. 

"She told me........that she found out that you we're Hawkmoth and couldn't sit still about it, she wanted to run home to you to clear things up because she was afraid that you we're akumatising people for her. She was afraid that she left you, only to feel alone.......and she loved you, she wanted to come back, and she did in the dead of the early morning. But....."

"Why didn't she ever arrive?"

"Everyone was asleep, except for the driver that hit her"

Gabriel gasped. 

"All she remembers is her struggle to keep awake, before she died in hospital"

Tom closed his eyes and tried to keep himself together to prepare for what comes next. 

_"This is it......I'm breaking his heart......his world will never be the same again......"_

There was silence for a while before he had to open his eyes, turn around and check on him. 

His face was full of dread, his blood was drained from his face, pale, and he looked like he was going to collapse. 

"Gabe" He got up and got a hold of him before getting him to sit down on the bed. His eyes were still very wide. 

 

It was a while before he spoke. 

 

.......

"What am I going to tell Adrien?" 

"The truth"

"I feared it, though I felt that.......it was true. She.....she really is gone........"

 

It started to sink in. 

"I was able to feel her far away, but it's been a while since I lost that connection.....I just........I can't.....believe it......"

He buried his face in his hands. "She's.......gone......."

"I'm sorry"

 

He thought Gabriel would cry but, it seemed that his heart broke, his eyes grew distant, and he ended up going to sleep. 

 

_"Maybe I should join him, just in case....."_

 

He laid next to him and closed his eyes. 

He found himself in that place again. 

 

_"Gabriel? Gabriel? Are you here? Gabriel!!" He called out several times, but to no avail, there was no response._

_He sighed sadly, maybe he could reach him......using his feelings.....he had only had the peacock for a short amount of time so he won't be able to do it as well as Gabriel.......maybe....he could reach out to him. He must feel so alone right now......so broken....._

_I just want to hug him and tell him that it's not the end of the world..........it's been hard for the both of us this week....._

_"Tom" Gabriel spoke, his voice raspy and Tom turned around to see his friend, his eyes were red and puffy, as he had been crying a great deal. Beside him who he held her hand tight was Emilie, smiling sadly._

_"Gabriel........"_

_"Thank you for telling him Tom. He deserved to know the truth, he explained everything to me" She said._

_Tom said nothing, he was worried about Gabriel._

_"He tends to lick his wounds privately until he bursts. But I talked to him, and......reality is, he has to go on without me, no matter how many times he objects"_

_A tear rolled down Gabriel's cheek._

_Looking at him, she sighed sadly and reminded him, "Till death do us part my dear"_

_Gabriel let out a sad sob as he clenched his teeth together and shut his eyes. His hold on her hand strengthened._

_"But dear......this isn't the end. Someday......when you get gray and old......you'll see me again"_

_"Yeah, remember what I said to Jake?"_

_"But......this feels like an eternal goodbye....."_

_"I know. But your friend right there, is going to help you"_

_Tom stepped in, "Gabriel......I'm not going to leave you alone you hear? I cannot replace Emilie but.....you can't replace a best friend either"_

_Gabriel managed a smile._

_"Now.......you two lean onto each other, you need it more than you know" Emilie guided Gabriel's hand and took it out of hers, to put it into Toms. Looking at each other, Tom gave his friend an assuring peck on the cheek._

_"There. I promise, I'll watch over you for her. Who can when she can't?"_

_Gabriel turned to Emilie as tears glistened in his eyes, and sniffed._

_"Oh. And......Gabriel, you got to look after Tom for Jake"_

_Tom piped up, "Jake? Did you manage to find him?"_

_"Hmm hmm" She nodded, "He's a gentleman" She turned her head to the right of them, and Tom turned around._

 

_There was Jake, red hair and all, in the same state the last time he ever saw him._

_He was beaming, and crying at the same time._

_" **Tommy"** He said. _

_Tears sprung to Tom's eyes, " **Jake?"** He whispered. _

_Jake looked at his long lost love from afar, " **You've grown"** He whispered back. _

**_"Jake?!"_ **

**_"Tom......."_ **

_Tom suddenly sprung up to him and launched himself into his arms, once he touched his skin, his heart burst._

_" **Jaaaaaaakkkeeee!!!"** He cried, holding him tight as he sobbed pathetically, Jake wrapped his arms around him and swung him around like he used to. _

_**"Tom!"** He set him down and let him jump up so he could put his legs around his waist, putting his arms around his neck and immediately kissing him. _

_They could hearing their own lips smacking against each other wildly, before they wrapped their tongues together, as Jake held him up, Tom started tracing his hands down to feel the curves of the body of his long lost love._

_Everything was the same as he left it. They held each other tight and cried._

_**"I missed you so so much....."** Tom said. _

_" **I missed you more"**_

**_"I missed you more"_ **

_**"No. I missed you much much more"** Jake chuckled. _

_Tom laughed, he missed his sense of humor, and cried again._

**_"Seventeen years Tom, and you've been alive....."_ **

_**"Seventeen lonely years....."** Tom admitted, **"I've been alone all this time, I moved to France because I couldn't handle it....."**_

**_"That explains the accent, I'm so sorry....."_ **

**_"No....! It wasn't your fault, it was fucking terrorists......they stole our future away from us....."_ **

_**"But Tom, they're never going to ever take my fucking soul....."** Jake pressed his forehead against Toms as they cried. " **Besides, we found each other"**_

_Tom nodded, **"Yeah. You should thank Gabriel, he's my friend. He's been the best thing that has happened to me since you died....."**_

_Jake blinked in surprise, and turned to see the other man standing next to Emilie, the woman who found him and brought him hope. **"That guy?"**_

_**"Yeah......."**_

_Jake put him down, took his hand and brought him over to Gabriel. Taking a look at him, he was going through a roller coaster of emotions as well, as Emilie told him, he's her husband._

_Taking Gabriel by surprise, he hugged him._

**_"Thank you......"_ **

**_"I......I'm sorry....I.....I didn't meet him sooner"_ **

**_"I'm glad that he has someone now, that's all that matters"_ **

**_"He saved my life Jake. I'm not here now thanks to him, I'm alive"_ ** _Tom said._

_Jake's hug tightened, before he let go._

**_"These things, even if they're big or small, mean so much to me"_ **

_Tom then remembered the last time he saw Jake, split in half, and asleep._

_**"Jake, he saved me, and I rushed to find you. The plane.....it took you down"**  
_

_Gabriel remembered, **"You we're missing half of your body"**_

_Jake stiffened, and Tom sniffed, Jake immediately hugged Tom again to soothe him._

**_"That's horrible......did.....what happened?"_ **

_**"Terrorists used planes to crash into the towers, and they collapsed. You're down with everyone else that perished and couldn't escape"** Tom explained,  **"There is a memorial there now.......your name is engraved with everyone else we worked with.....they're gone too...."** he sniffed.  **"There isn't a day when I wish I could have stopped you from going to your office and I would have saved you.....and you'd be with me now.....married, and with kids"**_

_**"Nothing is going to stop you from finding the happiness you deserve Tom, it's not impossible. You'll find it"** _

_Jake then turned to Gabriel. **"Gabriel"**_

_**"Yes?"** _

_**"Tom, he's a cuddler, so keep each other comfortable, he always likes company"** _

_Gabriel smiled, **"We already cuddle, he makes me comfortable"**_

_**"Shoot. Also, he's cute, but, he always has a thing for not looking after himself, his skin is sensitive, and he has to look after his hair right"** _

_Tom cringed at the memories of when Jake used to fuss over his hair._

**_"Tom had rather slippery soap"_ **

**_"The damn soap Tom!!! I keep telling you about that soap!"_ ** _Jake complained, as Gabriel giggled, Jake whipped his head back to Gabriel, **"Wait, you've showered with him?"  
**_

_Emilie looked at Gabriel smugly._

**_"Well.......for saving the gas......"_ ** _Gabriel admitted and Emilie giggled. **"But we have had an accident with that soap....."**_

_**"GABRIEL!"** Tom squawked, blushing. _

**_"I'm going to guess that you slipped over, Tom has the thing for accidents you see"_ **

**_"I will keep that in mind"_ **

**_"But take note, he's amazing at sex"_ **

**_"Jaaaaaaaake!"_ ** _Tom whined._

_Emilie tittled._

**_"He's really loud, it's a turn on"_ ** _Jake whispered in Gabriel's ear and Gabriel seemed amused by the fact._

**_"I don't have a problem with money, so I have thick walls"_ **

**_"Ooooooh, you're rich? You don't seem rich, you're a good guy"_ **

**_"Why thank you. You seem like a pleasure to share time with"_ **

_Jake chuckled, **"Point being Gabriel, if you ever want to date him.......you have my permission to. Even if you don't, I don't mind, just please......look after Tom"**_

_Gabriel chuckled. **"I will"** He went to Tom's side, and took a hold of his hand, looking at each other, they smiled.  **"We will"** Tom added. _

**_"So.....I guess this is till next time?"_ ** _Gabriel said softly to his wife._

**_"You are always welcome to see me"_ ** _She replied._

_Tom then looked at Jake, before he went over to hug and kiss him again, **"Will I get to see you again?"**_

_**"Of course you can.You can always see me, I will always be happy to see you, and I will be here with lovely Emilie. Since we can keep each other company"** _

_They started shedding tears again._

**_"I love you Jake"_ **

**_"I love you too Tom"_ **

_Gabriel then looked at Emilie, sniffing again._

**_"I'll see you again dear, take care of yourself"_ ** _She said._

**_"I will"_ ** _He replied._

_Tom then went back to Gabriel's side, and slowly, white enveloped them....._

 

They woke up. And saw straight into each others eyes. 

Tom turned around to find lunch, freshly made and still waiting to be eaten. Nathalie must have brought it in while they were sleeping. 

Gabriel was heard sniffling.

"Gabriel......." Tom raised his right hand, and looked at the two rings. "We need to make the first step"

Gabriel tensed. 

"I know it's difficult, but the sooner we rip them off like a bandage, the easier it will take for us to heal"

Slowly, Gabriel thought for a bit, and eventually they got themselves up. 

He was shaking, and Tom was frightened, they were both going to take each others rings off. 

"Okay....." Tom breathed, "Take the first ring off at three" 

The first ring, is Tom and Jake's rings. Gabriel felt terrible for the end of his friends relationship, it's gone, and Tom had to take his off. 

"One....." 

They grabbed a hold of the rings. 

"Two......three!" 

They both popped them off, the motion stroke Tom in his heart. He had to remember to catch his breath before Gabriel took a hold of Tom's ring and put it on the bed along with Jake's. 

Nodding, it was time to take his wedding ring off. 

_"This......this is goodbye to our vows.....as this is the end....."_ Gabriel reminded himself,  _"But a start to a new beginning"_

"One......" Gabriel started, "Two...." They grabbed them, Gabriel, very painfully so, "Three!" 

They popped them off and threw them immediately onto the bed like it was hot, for Gabriel, this was new for him, and he fell to the bed sobbing. 

So Tom, leaned down, and hugged him, to share his pain. 

 

 

Adrien could feel the emotions of his Dad, and respected his private life, and wanted to let him have some privacy. Finishing up his schoolwork with Marinette was the only thing that was driving him on, because he knew that Gabriel was going through something, including Tom. 

It's been an exhausting day. 

He didn't see his Dad until dinner, which was takeaway because apparently, Tom was under the weather and wasn't in the right condition to cook. 

His wedding ring is gone. And there is a distant look in Gabriel's eyes. Including Tom. 

He didn't like the look of the situation. 

The only thing that his Dad spoke about upon the dinner table is their departure home tomorrow, and their good work in catching up on schoolwork. 

Nooroo and Duusuu shared knowing glances, and Tikki and Plagg looked each other in worry. 

Marinette was worried too, but he assured her later that in time everything will be clear, and even adults have their own lives that they do as well. The only thing that they can do now is be patient. 

 

He knew that he was going to find out later. 

But he feared for what it might be. 

 

 

 

 


	25. Day 31

_"Day one of a new life.........peh. It doesn't sound or feel so nice right now......"_ Gabriel thought to himself as he slowly awoke in bed. 

Tom isn't here next to him, so he must be making breakfast or something. But there is one of his books on the desk, the piano is out, and a fountain pen laid on one of the pages. 

He got up, and he wanted to occupy his mind on anything, anything but Emilie. 

So he looked at his book and saw the furious scribbles of Japanese on Tom's book. 

Is he......angry?

He looked around, their rings were out of sight, maybe Tom put them away somewhere. 

_"Tom........Tom......I better lean on him, If I stick by him, I'd feel better. He always has a charming presence"_ He thought.  _"I should do the same for him too"_

Then, the door opened, and Tom came in with breakfast, with a good smile on his face. It was a surprise. 

"Breakfast Gabriel?" he said, laying down breakfast next to him. On the plates were cut fruit which was healthy for them both, especially when they are not feeling mentally well. 

"Thank you......how are you feeling?" 

"You cannot ignore the obvious loss that we both feel but.....we don't want to feel sad for so long, so I find myself ways to cheer myself up"

"And one of those is angrily scribbling Japanese?"

"Ah....well, that......I write my feelings in a book first before I go to sleep, so I'll feel better when I wake up in the mornings" 

"Oh? I should try that"

"Sometimes, surprisingly, written emotions can be useful later for inspiration" 

Gabriel moved back and looked at his friend oddly, "What?" 

Tom chuckled oddly back, "I know. It's weird"

Gabriel felt a rising laughter and snorted, "Pfffft" 

"What?"

"It seems like a good thing" 

"Why?"

"You could imagine collecting emotions, making something out of it and actually seeing your loss in a completely different way later. It seems so odd"

"And then later you're like, well, what the hell?"

They both laughed. 

"Well, it seems that you look at death in a different way" Gabriel assumed. 

"Er, in my Japanese side, we celebrate and respect the persons marks on the world, it isn't actually sad.....but I get it, on the other hand, if you have been very close to someone and the pass away, its understandable to be sad about their passing. Especially when you have grown up in America, the impact of loss can be very great, and very much so for me"

"But we can still see them in our dreams, whats the deal about that?"

"Maybe our kwami give us that ability? They're magical, so maybe......that? Emilie told me that I could see her because of my connection to you"

"Well, we can only ponder. But I do wonder about if we can find any proof, do you know about anything that she may have told you?"

"I do" Tom remembered. 

Then the door suddenly knocked, causing Tom's hair to jump and he sprung onto Gabriel, his legs around his waist, and arms around Gabriel's head. 

And Nathalie came in, astounded at the scene, she giggled. 

"Sorry" Tom apologised sheepishly, "I'm a bit jumpy....."

Gabriel then pried him off, "Accidents......I'll remember your jumpy senses....."

"I have made you two some drinks, since Tom forgot some" Nathalie said, before she placed them down with their breakfast. 

"Oh thank you" Tom replied, he picked up a glass and took a sip. 

"How are Adrien and Marinette? We do have to pack"

"Marinette and Adrien already finished packing, they wanted to spend the day together, they're playing go fish at the dining table with the kwami"

"Oh. We better catch up then" gabriel said. 

"I'm going to use Duusuu to try and get back into my apartment, I brought an empty suitcase to pack the things I might want to take back with me" Tom said, "Kwami can unlock doors can't they?"

"They can"

"Then......I'll go after breakfast, I better get back and save what I want before I lose that place entirely....."

"What happened?"

"Apparently I can't go back because it isn't safe to go back.....if I do, I'm at risk of asbestos, I could get cancer from it......the owners are cleaning the whole place up, I'd better go back and save what I can before they do"

Gabriel frowned, "Oh, I'll come with you. All the good excuse to pack up faster and earlier. Besides, after being seen on the news, your presence will make quite an uproar, I won't let you travel alone"

"American news started going into you Gabriel this morning because of yesterday" Nathalie started, "Apparently some out lookers do have some evidence of you being inside the towers"

".......What?"

"The evidence is quite obvious, since it was released, other people's evidence started scattering about like wildfire"

_"Oh........what is going on?"_

"I will take a look at it when we get back"

"Just be careful" She said, "Also, Adrien and Marinette want to go and visit the American museum"

"Ah? Let them know that we can go after lunch, we will be back before lunch" Gabriel replied. 

"Then it's planned then. Hurry back, but eat first"

"We will Nathalie" Gabriel grabbed a piece of fruit and ate it. 

 

They got to Tom's old apartment without any worries, they flew over, opened the window and jumped in. 

The apartment was dusty, covered in asbestos, and abandoned on the day of 9/11. 

It look Gabriel back. 

"Let's stay transformed, I rather not get contaminated" Tom said silently. 

The apartment was small, there was only two rooms, the main room was a bed, tv in the corner, kitchen not so far from the bed, and a small two person table. Above the kitchen stoves were upper shelves, a closet was next to the bathroom door, the beds sheets were ruffled from the last time it was used, some dishes sat in the sink and two lonely mugs sat together on the table, evidence of Tom and Jake's last tea together. 

It was stepping back into the past. 

It was sad. 

He shed a tear. 

"Now you see why I left" Le Paon said softly. 

"It's too much...." 

Le Paon put down his suitcase on the bed and looked at the sheets, smiling a little, he picked up the doona and took a sniff, then he chuckled.

"What is it?"

"Here" Paon handed Hawkmoth the doona, "It still smells like Jake"

Hawkmoth took and sniff and took notice of a nice musky yet sweet scent, "I smell it"

"I always smelled like Jake, we mixed in together" Paon smiled, "This apartment is small but.....it's our home"

Hawkmoth decided to lean in and sniff Tom, "Hey, weird, you smell like me now"

"What?" Paon's eyes went wide. 

"You smell like me" Hawkmoth chuckled. 

"We slept too much together" 

"If you remember right, like a dog, down below would have a scent of their own" 

"Pfft. True. How do you know? Jake had that sort of fetish, he had a good nose, he could smell me a mile away"

"Getting in touch with my gay side I guess......." 

Paon paid attention to the apartment and approached the closet, opening it up, he saw that the clothes were intact. 

"Our old clothes.......our cheap ones" he chuckled, and Hawkmoth came up to take a look, "Would they still fit you?"

"I think so, at least" 

Then they found a bunch of thrown clothes in a bunch on the floor, once Paon picked them up, all covered in dust, Hawkmoth recognised them. 

"Those are the clothes you were wearing on the day......"

"The day we met"

"When I got back here, I took a look at the room and I knew......I took them off, changed clothes, took my passport and I left. I was in shock, I knew that it was too painful for me to stay"

There were spots of blood in some places, but Paon gave the clothes a few shakes to get the dust off. 

"You might want to dry clean the stuff you bring back, do it before we get back, pick them up before we leave" Hawkmoth suggested. 

"Yeah, asbestos isn't allowed on the plane" Paon sighed. 

Le Paon did some thinking for a while before he grabbed a bag and put them in, tying it up, he put it in his suitcase along with all of the other clothes, folding them up and putting them away. 

He put the mugs away too, along with the thick woolly blanket that was on the doona. 

"He got this for me for Christmas, I regretted the fact that I didn't take it with me"

The blanket, doona, was stripped from the bed and he took the two pillows. Shutting the suitcase, he approached Hawkmoth near the window, turned around and looked at the room for one final time. 

Paon sniffed, looking at the room. 

"Goodbye....." He said, sniffling. 

"Hey....." Hawkmoth took Paon's hand, and rubbed against his fingers softly. "At least you have a few things"

"Yeah...." 

"And I'll be with you"

"Yeah. Let's get those clothes to the dry cleaners"

Hawkmoth opened the window, they stepped out, and with one final look, they left. 

 

They headed for the closest dry cleaners near their hotel, found an alley and de-transformed. 

"That was very brave of you Tom" Duusuu said softly.

"Thank you" Tom replied. 

"But I know very well what's like to be lonely, you are always welcome at my place" Gabriel said. 

"Oh? Really? But I don't like to be a bother......"

"No Tom, you are more than a pleasure to have around" 

"If I stayed around, I'd be moving in"

"Move in. Besides, I'd love that more if that makes you happy, and Adrien in fact will like it if there is more company and friends around, especially when I have to tell him about his Mother....."

Tom patted him on the shoulder, "I'm a millionaire now, and I think that the safest place for me is with you"

Gabriel laughed at that and Nooroo giggled. 

"I like it when you laugh" Tom smiled. "Oh, I might spoil your boy, I do have motherly instincts"

"I think I have already seen them, you cooking for the kids.  _And_ giving him sugar treats, you're going to ruin his model figure" 

"Oops. Sorry not sorry, but it makes him happy"

Gabriel rolled his eyes playfully. 

"Come on"

They got inside the dry cleaners.

**"Could you please have this done by six tonight? I will pay extra to get this done before we leave for our plane"**

Tom opened his suitcase and gave them the clothes inside the plastic bag,  **"Here. 9/11 asbestos clothes, I think you will quite remember cleaning those....."** Tom said. 

The man at the register winced,  **"Yeah. Those. We will clean them up right away. Name?"**

**"Gabriel Agreste"**

**"Thank you. We will see you tonight"**

**"Thank you"**

Just as they were about to leave, the tv inside the dry cleaners got their attention. 

_**"From yesterdays encounter with Hawkmoth in New York with a new partner with the appearance of a Peacock, evidence spread like wildfire on his heroic deeds of evacuating and saving people from the world trade center towers seventeen years ago. The butterfly figure which was once thought to be peoples imagination, actually makes much more sense- this villian that was known to be what is called akumatising people in the city of Paris, was actually a hero in our own country all of these years ago"**_  

**"Huh......"** Tom said. 

**"From all the comics we have, it seems like superheroes come from France......"** The man at the register said.

**"Okay, lol"** Tom sniggered. 

**"When the truth staggers you a bit, you would be surprised, come on. Let's go"**

They went back into their alley and transformed, 

"We better be careful now, when people find us, they'd follow" Paon said before they jumped up to the roof. 

"Yeah, let's get back"

While they were getting back, jumping over trains, Paon noticed something. 

"What was that?"

"What?"

"Screaming, lots and lots of screaming"

"Where?" Hawkmoth started his eyes around. 

"I believe I hear it from one of the trains.....like the ones that travel above the road?"

"Those ones? Let's go and investigate"

They went up high to try and get a good lock, when they found something concerning, one of the trains was going way too fast. 

"That's not right....." Hawkmoth was alarmed, and they looked straight to the direction of where the tracks end, a couple of miles away. 

"We better go and see what's going on, if there's trouble, these people need help" 

"What about my suitcase?"

"You can leave it here and we can grab it on the way back, besides, no one goes on the roof"

Paon put down his suitcase and they quickly went off. 

They jumped straight down and landed on the tracks, in which they started running after the train, Hawkmoth was faster, grabbing onto the end, he helped Paon along, grabbing each others hands and Hawkmoth pulled Paon on. 

"Come on" They jumped up the train and started travelling on top of the roof, they got increasingly worried as they noticed that the train was really going too fast for comfort. 

Once they hurriedly got to the front, and opened the door, they noticed the collapsed train driver in front and immediately took him off, Paon gently putting him on the floor, and Hawkmoth took over the controls, slowing down the train and doing an emergency stop.

The force of gravity explained why it would be difficult for anyone to get up the drivers end to help. Having putting the brakes on, the train gradually slowed and stopped safely.

"Phew...."

"Hawkmoth! He's not breathing!" Paon called, and started doing CPR, putting both hands together and pumping his chest. 

"He must have had a heart attack or something, we need an ambulance" Hawkmoth breathed. 

"We are above the road in mid air, and we are not at a station! We can't get him to safety!"

Hawkmoth growled in annoyance and burst out the drivers back door, **"Doctor!! Is there a doctor in here?!"** He scrambled through passengers.  **"A heart attack kit? Anything???!"**

Then he heard the loud sound of an ambulance siren, "Ah, good timing!" he ran back to Paon and looked through the window where he found the ambulance below them, "Come on, let's get him down!" 

Paon quickly got the man up in his arms, while Hawkmoth opened the door, swiftly and gently as possible, Paon jumped down and delivered the man to the pediatricians.  **"We will check if there is anyone injured"** He informed them before jumping back up, they heard more sirens, those of the police and more ambulances. 

They went through passengers, asking if they're okay, they got nods from thankful and half shocked people, before someone yelled. 

**"We need a doctor here!!"**

They rushed down, until they found a woman on the ground surrounded by worried people, moaning in pain. 

**"She's in labor"** Paon gasped,  **"When did it start?"**

**"It started halfway when the train started speeding up, she was frightened, about.....ten minutes ago?" one of the women replied.**

**"The shock must have forced her into labor"** Paon replied, before squatting down,  **"Hey......how are you fairing? There are ambulances below, do you think you can travel?"**

The woman shook her head,  **"No.....I really need to push, the baby needs to come out now!"** she cried. 

Hawkmoth then squatted down,  **"Then we will do the best we can for you"** He then looked at everyone around them,  **"Okay, does anyone have any fresh blankets, anything, we need as much as we can. A train isn't a clean and sterile location, we need blankets. And a shoelace"**

Everyone started scrambling around for things,  **"Pass the word on, let's help her"**

People started passing things down, a couple, who were backpackers had blankets and shared them, putting them down on the floor, pilling them up, before one guy with new shoes took a shoelace off and handed it to Hawkmoth. 

**"Do you know what you're doing?"** The lady asked before she was helped along to lay on the blankets. 

**"My wife had a child once, and I helped her through it, promise me, I never forget a day like that. Now, what is your name?"**

**"Judy"**

**"Nice to meet you Judy, now......while I am male, my friend here, despite his appearances, is female. His name is Le** **Paon, he's trans"** He then turned to Paon,  **"Now, when the baby comes, you might want to take hold of it, your feathers will give some protection"**

**"Like a mother bird"** Paon said. 

**"Exactly. Now let's deliver a baby and get you calm so we can transfer you down. Ready?"**

Judy gulped, but nodded.  **"This is not how I imagined the birth to be like...."**

**"Trust me, it's uglier than you think. But it's worth it in the end"**

She smiled weakly. 

It wasn't an easy process, once Hawkmoth explained what they had to do, and encouraged to push, the passengers started a chant to encourage her, in hope to deliver the baby safely. Hawkmoth held her hand while Paon watched her progress, before the baby slipped out, being born. Everyone cheered on the carriage as Paon got the baby boy into his arms. 

**"So what is the shoelace for?"** Paon asked. 

Hawkmoth grabbed the shoelace, tied it around the umbilical cord and pulled it tight till the cord split in half. 

**"Handy"** Paon commented as his chest feathers fluffed up to protect and comfort the child, the baby was wailing and pink, which was a very good sign. 

**"It's a boy Judy. Congratulations. Here, Paon"**

Paon gave the child to Judy as the mother cried happily.  **"Thank you!"**

**"He will need to know your scent as you are his Mother. What will be his name?"**

The child quietened down and cooed into his mothers arms, as she looked at him adoringly, she decided on a name.  **"Jake"** she breathed. 

Paon's eyes fluttered in surprise.  **"Ah......a lovely name, he does seem like a Jake doesn't he?"**

**"Hmm hmm"** She hummed, looking at her baby.  **"I knew that I would know his name once I saw him"**

Paon took a slow breath, before the carriage suddenly went off it's brakes and started moving slowly backwards. 

**"We must be going back to the closest station. We will be able to get you out then"** Paon assumed,  **"We will have to keep an eye on the placenta too"**

Judy groaned, **"Oh yeah, that bloody thing"**

Everyone chuckled. 

Once the train got back to the station, the pediatricians came rushing in to aid her, lifting her up onto a transfer bed, she thanked them again, holding Jake in her arms. They waved their goodbyes, and there were claps from the people around them. 

They had saved a whole train of lives and helped Judy deliver her child. And Paon kept his eyes on Jake until he disappeared from sight. 

It wasn't long until they had to leave in order to dodge the press chasing after them, returning to their spot from before, grabbing his suitcase. 

"That was a good first mission for you"Hawkmoth said. "Your maternity instincts kicked in, you know a great deal"

"Yeah.......I used to research on how it was all done by the dot, I still remember......."

"Well, at least it helps others. Come on, we need to get packing"

"I'm after you"

 

Once they got back, they started packing quickly, before Tom had to start making lunch, as Gabriel got everyone's suitcases at the front door, he got back in time to have a nice bento that Tom made for everyone. 

"Yuuuuuuum!" Adrien and Marinette filled their mouths with rice and chicken, making happy noises as they did which made Tom laugh. 

"Don't do that....." Gabriel said, as he watched his son lose his table manners in horror. 

"It's okay Gabriel, it makes the chef happy" Tom patted him on the shoulder. 

"I wish we could have lunches like this everyday, don't you think Marinette?" Adrien asked.

"Eehhh, as much as I don't want to claim that my parents are bad cooks, they are great bakers, the best in Paris, but I have to agree"

"He makes me melted Camembert in a shortbread roll, which is my favorite thing ever, can we please keep him?" Plagg asked. 

"I'm surprised you even said please......" Gabriel's eyes widened at the kwami in surprise. 

"Well, I will happily give you recipes on how to make these meals Marinette. I think your parents would be up to the challenge, you can also give it a go"

"Will you? Thanks!!" Marinette replied. 

"Tom is always welcome at home Adrien, in fact, he lives alone, so I gave him the chance to move in if he liked" Gabriel said which surprised Adrien. 

"Really? Move in? For real?" Adrien asked. 

"Of course" Tom said, "I more than appreciate having company, and spoiling you Adrien. You see, your Dad has been very good to me, and I can't be more thankful to be part of a family again"

"Oh........then, welcome to the family"

"Really?" Tom's eyes shined happily before he smiled at Gabriel, and then hugged Adrien, "Thank you......"

"Yippeeee! More cheese!!" Plagg cheered. 

"Plagg!" Gabriel scolded. 

 

They all went to the museum without any problems, and Gabriel got them a French tourist to take them around for the convenience of it. Tom, Nathalie and Gabriel found themselves entertained by Marinette and Adrien's curiosity to take a look at things and read signs. Once the tourist finished her job, their kwami started telling them about what they saw in the past, and correcting facts that the museum had wrong. 

"Oh! My phone is ringing- Adrien-" They heard Marinette's ringtone. 

Adrien stepped in close to her as she got out her phone and answered it, immediately Alya and Nino appeared on the screen. 

'Hey!" Alya waved, and Nino said hi, greeting them both. And Marinette and Adrien greeted them back. 

"How is your vacation girl?" Alya asked. 

"It's awesome!" Marinette said happily. 

"Yeah! We have been at a lot of places, we're at the museum right now!" Adrien replied. 

"That's so cool dude, did you get to go to the pool or something?"

"Apparently Dad planned to but it rained, so we went to a spa instead"

"Oooooooooh~" Alya teased. 

"Marinette fell in the onsen my Dad was in"

Marinette's face went red when Alya burst out laughing. 

"Adrien!!" Marinette whined, "You didn't have to tell her that!" 

"It was funny afterwards. But my Dad was pink, so that was something I could tease him about"

"Pffft" 

"You get to see him in his pajamas but that's even worse!" Alya tried to calm down her laughter. 

"I couldn't see anything, the water was really hot! If I opened them, my eyes would have burned!" 

"Well, realistically, they could" 

"So how was the world trade center? Was it cool up close?" Nino asked. 

"Oh yeah! It's very nice to look at, yet very sad, it has a museum in there. Gabriel did have a few deja vu's on the buildings designs being quite similar to the towers" Marinette replied. 

"My Dad's friend tagged along, by coincidence, apparently he lost someone there so they have been sticking together"

Alya suddenly got interested, "A friend? Who? I didn't know Gabriel had a friend!" 

"His name is Tom, half American and Japanese, but he lives in France, he's a brilliant cook, and a great friend"

Alya and Nino exchanged curious looks. 

"Friend........"

Adrien rolled his eyes.

"You mean the friend that spread wildfire news in Paris lately?" 

"What news?"

Alya got a magazine, flipped through pages and then showed them a page, which contained a photo of Tom piggybacking on Gabriel's shoulders, both smiling at each other. 

"When was that?" Adrien asked. 

"I don't know.......yesterday. It was quite the surprise, it's revealed quite a friendly side to your Dad. People usually see him as very strict, so everyone is curious"

"Ah. He's a friend to my Dad"

Then Tom came in, "What are you guys talking about? Why do I keep hearing my name?"

"Ah" Alya caught sight of Tom, "Hello"

"Hi! You guys must be Adrien and Marinette's friends!" He waved. 

Gabriel sighed. 

"And you must be the brilliant cook" Nino replied. 

"Ahahahaha, and you must be the ladyblogger that Jagged keeps on telling me about. Other than Marinette of course, he's an odd guy but he does have some good taste on the side dish"

Gabriel coughed. 

"Newsflash, you're gay!" Alya figured, "Is your Dad there?"

"Here" Gabriel said. 

"Thanks for the praise, it's nice to meet you!" Alya said to Tom. 

"You too. And congratulations for making the front page! When you get back to Paris, people will be pestering you for drawing out Gabriel's kind side! Watch out!"

"I made the front page?" Tom questioned. 

"What?" Gabriel was now interested. 

"Yeah"

"I told you this was going to happen" Gabriel said to Tom. 

"At least it wasn't 'divorce' or 'affair'" 

"Well......you make a point, it's really not that bad. Any progress on people's onions on Hawkmoth?"

"Apparently, I'm trying to attempt to make you sound better. But in the meantime, I cooooouuld have released a few videos, but then it jogged peoples minds and more started popping out of nowhere, mostly English ones but people here are getting skeptical. There has been no akumas in weeks, and the city is planning a parade! No Chat Noir, Hawkmoth or Ladybug has been seen this week, but I heard that a peacock came up in your location? Did you see him? I'm jealous!"

"Tada, the peacock is me. Le Paon, you're welcome" Tom revealed. 

"Whaaaaaaat?! No wonder you guys are getting along!" Nino gasped along with Alya. "When you guys get back, I must get some pics! I heard that you are absolutely adorable in feathers!!" 

"You flatterer" 

"So you're who's partner?"

"Gabriel's"

Alya smirked at Gabriel. 

"Please don't" Gabriel said. 

"They did have a few......accidents" Adrien winked at them and both men paled. 

Alya laughed, "It sounds like you guys had a great time, tell us everything when you get back" 

"We will" Marinette said. 

"Well, see ya guys!" Nino said. 

"See you soon!" Marinette replied and they all waved goodbye before Marinette ended the call. 

"Ah. That was nice" She said. 

"Except that I might have to call for a couple of bodyguards when we arrive back in Paris......" Gabriel assumed. 

"I'll have to stick by you"

"And hopefully they won't assume anything more than 'just friends'......"

Tom laughed nervously. 

"Just don't have your shoulders touching each other" Nathalie advised and the two men scooted away from each other and Gabriel noticed Adrien smirk. 

"The museum is going to be closed soon, it's almost six" Marinette said. 

"Ah, then let's go and get Tom's old clothes from the dry cleaners before we can get some dinner" Gabriel said. 

"Okay. The sooner we get that done, the sooner I get my cheese" Plagg said from Adrien's pocket. 

 

Adrien watched his Dad closely as they went to the dry cleaners, when they went to dinner, he found him with his head in the clouds at times, his eyes drifting off. He wondered what it was, but he assumed that he would tell him soon. 

Gabriel did whisper into Tom's ear for a moment before getting a positive response. 

Plagg got his desired cheese back at the hotel before they left for the airport. 

 

"It's going to be a long night....." Marinette said. 

"Enough said" Adrien replied. 

"We can make ourselves comfortable and sleep through the entire flight" Gabriel suggested. 

"By the time we wake, it would be almost tomorrow" Nathalie said, "It'll be fine"

 

Once they got on the plane, To m was a lot more confident to sit in his seat and keep himself calm through the entire flight. But since he was seated next to Nathalie, every time he caught sight of her, he felt a touch of anger. 

_"Why? Why didn't you say anything?"_

 

Before they got home, Gabriel dropped Marinette off so she could get to bed as soon as possible, while getting thanks from Sabine and Tom. 

Getting home, Adrien just said goodnight and went off to his room, Nathalie went home, and Tom was left with Gabriel. 

"It's going to feel odd knowing that she will never be stepping back into this house" Gabriel said. 

"Would you like me to stay with you?"

Gabriel's heart aced sadly, "Please"

They went into his private quarters and came up to his bedroom.

Tom took hold of Gabriel's hand, "I'm here. Don't worry"

Gabriel blinked and turned to look at Tom beside him.

"If you need some time alone, I can leave you be"

Gabriel looked down at the ground, "I need to tell Adrien. I can't not tell him, he needs to know" 

"We need proof first"

Gabriel hummed, "Then lead me the way, what do you know?"

"Well, I know that Nathalie knows" 

"What?" Gabriel's eyes went wide. 

"Steady Gabriel, I think I know what to do first before making any stupid moves"

Gabriel put himself together, all thoughts of Emilie were gone, now he was focused on answers. 

"What do you have in mind?"

"Well, we need evidence, where does she live?" 

"I can give you the address......but, do you know what to do?"

"I have an idea, but I think it's best you stay here while I go and investigate. Does she keep backup of everything?"

"On a hard drive and paper backup.......I see what you're thinking......she knows me, but she doesn't know you enough to spot you in the dead of the night"

"If she does know anything, you better go quick. While you can" Nooroo suggested.

"I trust you Tom, I'll wait here for you"

Tom nodded as he received her address from him, before he transformed, Gabriel opened the window for him so Le Paon could fly out. 

Smiling, he sat down on his bed to wait for him. 

 

It was fifteen minutes later when he saw him fly back inside, getting up, he immediately shut the window before he heard a loud thud. 

It was a huge bucket load of papers in a large cabinet. 

"I found evidence! It has her location! She's in a nearby private hospital!" Paon exclaimed, before he de transformed, "Look, here......Gabriel.....she wrote letters for you...." 

Gabriel gasped, as he looked at the cabinet before him, Tom got out the letters and gave them to him. 

"It had a lock on it" Duusuu added. 

"Tom.......thank you.....really......"

"It's okay, everyone deserves answers, I know the feeling, and we are going to find them" Tom smiled at him. 

Gabriel stepped down and looked at the cabinet, "She really......she hid her from me....."

"I thought she loved you"

"She did. In some way, apparently it was this way. But why?"

"Maybe.......if she was dead and I found out, what would happen?"

"You'd change your plans?"

"Recover Emilie? But I would have to give someone up to bring her back from the dead, the world requires a balance, what you bring back, you must give something in return"

"It could be Adrien"

"What? No, I love Adrien, I'd never give him up, ever. Not even at my wit's end, what does Nathalie think I am, an idiot?"

"Maybe you weren't ready to know. If you found out earlier, what would you have done?"

"I would have dug my own grave. But I'd stay for Adrien"

"Maybe that's just it. You weren't ready, but if you never knew and you kept going on with your akuma, you'd go back in time and save her. Time would be overwritten, and it would have never mattered"

"But things have changed, why still keep her away from me? Why hasn't she still said anything?"

Tom hummed, "Maybe that's a question that we need to ask her"

Gabriel looked back at the cabinet and pulled out files, the hospital bills gave him an address. 

He knew what to do, he could go and find her. 

And settle this once and for all, so he could be given peace, and that Emilie would be given peace. 

 

He sighed. 

"How am I going to tell my son?"

That was the tricky part.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	26. Day 32

".....Why have you summoned me to your bedroom?" Nathalie asked. 

Gabriel was standing by his bed along with Tom with his arms crossed, looking stern, but they were wanting answers. 

Tom went ahead and gave her a hospital bill letter.

"I believe you lost something" Gabriel said. 

Nathalie froze. 

"A whole cabinet in fact" Gabriel added. 

Nathalie, with wide eyes, moved her sight from the letter to Gabriel. 

"How could you Nathalie?"

Nathalie slowly went achingly pale. 

"Please explain to me why you kept such a big a secret from me, and not just from me, from Adrien too"

"I......I didn't know what to do......when I received the call that she was in a crash, I went straight away, I didn't inform you because I was afraid of what you might do.....you were Hawkmoth, and when she died......Gabriel. To be seriously honest, if you found out.....I didn't know what you'd do, but I assumed that if I hid her....I'd have the doctors see if they could help her in any way, in the meantime, you'd continue on....and save her from her fate"

Gabriel frowned. 

"I just......I was so afraid.....that if I spoke a single word about it......you'd change your plan of action, if you did.....what would happen? I'm.....I'm so so sorry.....I was so worried about you, about Adrien..." 

Gabriel hummed, "I see. I understand, I'm sorry you had to go through that. But at some point, I thought that.....I wasn't ready to know"

"...Oh?"

"You did what you could Nathalie" He said softly, "But.....you......were you at least going to tell me about her someday?"

"Erm.....I was working that out in the last few days actually.....I have no clue........I can't bear to see Adrien's heart break......the poor boy....I was more worried about him than you. I just.....I just can't" She sniffed.

Gabriel went over and gave her a hug, "It must have been hard to handle all by yourself. I don't know how to tell Adrien either. But.....we have to, one way or another, he has to know"

She nodded in Gabriel's arms. 

"I......I should be the one to tell him, I kept her away from you two......."

"We can do it together"

"When?"

"Since we have the whole day, I think it's best to tell him now. By now, he must have noticed that my ring is missing....."

"I noticed, what did you do with it?"

"Tom has it, it's in safe hands, and hers too"

"I see.......then....."

"We have to face the music" Tom admitted sadly. 

 

"Adrien?" Gabriel came into his room by himself. 

"Yes Dad?" Adrien asked as he did his homework with Plagg laying on his bed. 

"We found her"

Adrien didn't need any more details, he dropped everything, and jumped straight up. 

"REALLY?! YOU FOUND MOM?!" His eyes shined so brightly, his spirits were up the roof. 

"Don't shout so loud kid" Plagged scowled. 

"But- why.....where is your ring?"

Gabriel sighed. "Come. There is a lot that you must know"

Adrien found that this must be it, this must be why Gabriel has been off lately, so he went over to him and let his Dad take him to the main hall where he saw Tom and Nathalie. 

He noticed that she was very nervous, and utterly terrified. But he waited. 

"Adrien. We did find your Mother, but.......they found her, only because of me"

"What do you mean?" Adrien asked. 

"I'm so so sorry......I kept her away from you both....as a secret......"

"What? For how long?"

"A month now"

Adrien felt his trust in her drop, "Why......?"

Nathalie now looked afraid. 

"I know everything and I will tell you from the beginning......."

Adrien nodded. 

"I knew your Father was Hawkmoth a month after akuma attacks started, when I found out.....I promised that I would keep his secret, at first, I thought that I would use it as an advantage, because I actually helped Emilie find a place to stay......and keep the police away from her. She left for your Father to learn his mistakes the hard way, but......then she figured out that he was Hawkmoth"

Adrien continued to listen.

"She contacted me, freaking out, she wanted my confirmation, and.....I told her....."

Nathalie sniffed, "The next thing I know I got a call in the middle of the night.....she was hit by a car"

Adrien gasped.

"I went right away.....and she was struggling to keep awake.....I held her hand...." she sniffed, before her tears rose, "Before she died....."

_"Now this is why his wedding ring is gone........"_ Adrien thought,  _"Mum is gone......"_

Adrien sniffed when he started to feel his heart break, "So you were hiding her a month ago but you were keeping her away years ago......what do you mean? You hid her?"

Nathalie nodded, "She died.....a month ago" 

"BUT! I saw her weeks ago!!!" Adrien exclaimed. "She CAN'T be DEAD!!" 

"Your Father is Hawkmoth.......your inheritance of his power must allow you to see her travel in this world through the spiritual plane.....as kwami are not material beings, they can see many, I was surprised that you could see her, as that is impossible......while I know that she is actually on life support in the hospital...." 

Adrien sobbed, "No........no.........not my Mom!! Not Emilie!!! How could you do this to us???!!!"

"I didn't know what to do......not while your Father was Hawkmoth.......I didn't know how to tell you.....I just......"

"IT DOESN'T MATTER ABOUT MY DAD, YOU THINK THIS IS ABOUT HIM BUT YOU'RE WRONG!! DIDN'T YOU EVEN CONSIDER ABOUT WHAT I COULD FEEL?!" 

"I thought.......he would.....change his mind and use his wish to get her back.....but he could have killed you......"

Adrien was astounded at her and Gabriel's eyes widened. 

"Nathalie......you have no idea.....you should never underestimate how much I love my Dad and how much he loves me. He.....will never give me away for anything!! Even Mum!!" 

"I'm sorry....." Nathalie reached for him but Adrien slapped her hand away.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!!" Adrien cried as tears streamed down his face and ran over to Gabriel, putting his arms around him a sobbed. 

"Mum......where's Mum? Can we see her?" he asked, looking up at his Dad. "Please?"

"We can go see her" Gabriel sniffed as he looked down at his brokenhearted son. 

Nathalie stood in her spot where Adrien left him. 

Tom went up to her and whispered something in her ear, she nodded before he turned around to rejoin them. 

"Let's go"

"Dad......one thing though, how did you find out?"

Gabriel turned to Tom, "He did. If it wasn't for him, if he didn't tell me.....I would have never known"

Adrien sniffed, "Tom.......thank you"

"No thanking me lad, we need to go and see your Mum, and see if she's alright"

Adrien nodded. 

Nooroo, Duusuu and Plagg floated nearby.

"I'll stay here" Duusuu said, "Just in case"

"We'll come along with you kid" Plagg said. 

Duusuu nodded and flew off to go beside Nathalie while the others left. 

 

Adrien listened to his heart as he approached closer and closer to Emilie, when they arrived and got inside the hospital. He ran once he heard the room number. 

"ADRIEN!!" Gabriel shouted after him. 

"Let him run" Tom said. 

Carrying two kwami with him, he ran,  _she was so close......_

Dodging nurses and patients one after another, he reached for her room, and once.....that blonde familiar hair.....came into his sight, his body halted. 

.....There she was.

"Mom......?" his voice squeaked. 

She was on life support, keeping her  _alive._ The heart monitor was  _beeping, and yet........_ she was asleep.

"Mom.....?" His voice broke this time. 

He believed that she would come home, he had hope but........he never expected her failing to reach him because of someone who failed to drive safely. 

"Son?" Gabriel came up. 

"Mooooom......." Adrien sobbed at the glass. 

Tom came up next. "Gabriel?"

Gabriel then looked up and saw her, he gasped. "Oh god......son.......there she is....."

_She was still as beautiful as the day he lost her._

Gabriel held onto Adrien's hand tight as he set his eyes on her. 

"Emilie?"

They heard the heart monitor beep. 

"What happened to her?" Adrien asked, "She's still beating....."

"Brain damage, she's brain dead"

"Oh....." 

They slowly went inside, grabbing chairs, they sat down to go to her side. 

"Mom....." Adrien went head and put his hand over hers, he gasped at the touch. 

"Mom....." He said again, as the tears rolled down his cheeks again. 

Gabriel then put his hand on top of Adrien's. 

 

They stayed like that for a long time, Tom got them some water to keep them hydrated from the amount of crying they both did. They were going through a deep loss. 

Adrien sniffed as he turned around and looked at Tom, "Was the pain in losing Jake this bad?"

"Oh no lad, it was ten times worse for me. Getting used to the idea of her not being around before finding out that she's dead is easier to cope with. Jake was instantly ripped out of my life in the most horrible, cruel way, as I saw his dead body lying there in two pieces........." He took a breath, "It's like your whole world fell apart, mentally and literally physically when I was in those towers, it's nothing compared to this, I promise you"

Adrien took in the information and nodded. 

"Adrien.....no matter what Nathalie did, she did it all alone by herself with no one to speak about it to. If she said a single word, it could have risked either of your identities inside the house, outside would have spread like wildfire"

"But......she doubted us! How could she have done that?!" 

"In the middle of absorbing new and tragic information, there is a lot that is thought about, many consequences made up. She thought of you, and your Dad........and tried her best to figure out how to deal with the situation. Now, I know that she couldn't do her best but.......she wanted you to know the truth, at some point we all had to know, she can't hide her forever and you definitely can't be left in the dark. Now listen to me, there is no way, that she does in any way, doubt your love for your Dad, or your Dad's love for you, she loves you very very much, because she told me that, and Gabriel knows that"

"But.....since I can search feelings.....how come I can't feel it?"

"Your feelings are clouded by this great loss, let your feelings go, let them clear, and when you find yourself in a happier place.......search for her own"

"You really think that she tried her best to handle Mom?"

Tom nodded. "Adrien.......she did, because.....when a baby is born, their Mothers take them into their arms so their child can identify their Mum's by scent, did you know that? That warmth?"

"Yeah...." Adrien nodded. 

"You know that scent, only you, it's like a signature, and that signature can never be duplicated or replaced. Your bond with her is irreplaceable, the thought of it is absurd. She is  _your_ Mother, no one else" Tom turned to look at Emilie again, "Nathalie......she was letting the doctors look at her to see whether if they could experiment new technology to save her, scientists would come in and fill the room. But right now, nothing can at the moment can fix her, but nothing can replace her either"

Tom looked back at Adrien, "She really did try everything that she thought she possibly could. For you"

Adrien sobbed. 

"But we can't have that anymore. Prodding her body about isn't what she wants" Gabriel said. 

"Really? You do speak to her so.......what do you think we have to do? Did she request anything?"

Gabriel nodded, "Yes. She asked me to donate her organs, to help others that could save lives"

"That will be wonderful" Adrien smiled as he wiped his tears. 

"And her last wish is to bring her home"

More tears came down Adrien's cheeks. 

"You mean like.....ashes? In a tin container?" Tom asked. 

"Yes......the last thing she tried to do was come home, she wants to complete her journey so she can watch over us forever"

Adrien sniffed loudly. 

Tom hummed, "I think I have a better idea than a tin jar"

"You do?" Gabriel asked. 

"Oh yeah. Shall we make it a surprise for you Adrien?" Tom asked. 

"Yes please........if it's the most wondrous, most supercalifragilisticexpialidocious idea then I'm in" 

Tom chuckled, "Then I'll plan it with your Dad"

"Would you like to spend more time with her?" Gabriel asked. 

"Erm......I do but.....I don't think that will be good for me.....but since she will come home, I'll get to see her at least"

"Would you like something to eat then? We have been here for five hours and we haven't eaten, I did speak to the doctor but....." Tom proceeded. 

"We can go to the cafe, I'll take some time to compose myself...."

 

 

"We are going to be seen here. I'll call up a few bodyguards for both our sakes" Gabriel said as he scanned the cafe area, seeing that people are staring, he got out his phone and started calling people up.

"What would you like Adrien?" Tom asked. 

"Erm.....maybe a muffin and uh.....cocoa....." Adrien replied tiredly. 

"Of course, let's go" 

They got some drinks for everyone, cocoa for each to deplete their depression and feeling of loss, even just a little bit. Adrien tried to keep up appearances in public with a calm face, even though his eyes were a bit red. 

"We will go back soon so we can have some privacy okay?" Gabriel said, and Adrien nodded quietly. 

 

....

Silence. 

 

"Tell you what Adrien, what would you like me to cook tonight?"

"Erm......maybe that hot pot you made......that was delicious....." 

"Then I'll make one for all of us"

Adrien nodded, a smile perking up a bit. But the smile seemed strained, as he was still feeling sad, Tom immediately wanted to hug him. 

 

When they got back to the room, Gabriel spoke to the doctor again before they took their time to see her again. It was time for her to donate her organs.......and let her rest.

"Emilie....." Gabriel took a look at her, and he saw her engagement ring still on her, he sniffed. 

"I love you" He said, he wanted to cry but he had to hold it in, he wanted to be brave for his son. 

Patting her hair to fix it up a bit, he gave her one last kiss on the lips.

"I love you" He said again. "I'll see you again"

Adrien followed his Mum as the doctors took her away before he had to let go, he couldn't handle it, he ran straight to Gabriel and cried his heart out. 

 

Until they got home, Adrien was exhausted.

"Dad......I don't wanna go in my room......can I got to the fort?" 

Nooroo and Plagg came out. 

"Do you have some sheets?" Tom asked Gabriel. "He could sleep in the lounge if it makes him comfortable....."

"He can, there is plenty in the lounge closet"

"Come on, Gabriel, you can let the chef know that I'm cooking tonight"

Gabriel nodded before letting them go along.

Adrien felt like he wanted to be alone, but since it was Tom making him a bed in the lounge, he felt much more comfortable. 

"What are you building? A nest?" Plagg asked. 

Tom stopped what he was doing and realised that he was in fact, building a huge bed filled with pillows, doonas and blankets. A nest.

"Ah- sorry......I got ahead of myself...."

"What are you, a girl?" Plagg teased and Nooroo smirked, "Don't feel bad, plenty of nests were made on impulse in this house. It shows that you care"

Tom blushed at the fact, "Well.....we have a bed made, no need to rattle cages Plagg"

Adrien took off his shoes and let himself fall into the huge nest, layers of doonas and blankets hit his face and wrapped around his body when he curled up, and then he was sent into a cloudy heaven. 

He didn't want to think, he wanted to rest and let nothing else fall on him, too much information had been going into his mind today. 

"Tell me if you need anything okay?" Tom said. 

Adrien just nodded, letting himself sleep. 

 

"How is Adrien?" Gabriel met Tom again after going to the kitchen and talking to Nathalie. 

"He's tired, it's been a long day. Nooroo and Plagg are staying with him. How is Nathalie?"

"She's coping" Duusuu said, "She understands that it's hard"

"I updated her with everything, she's glad that she has let everything off her chest"

"Good so......what about you? How are you? You looked like you were trying to hold everything together"

"I was trying to be brave for him. You see......I grieved her being missing for so long, shredding all those tears.......the impact and the answers are good for me, and it helps me keep going, I'm not going to be stuck in a hole forever. I do miss her and the fact that she's never going to come home is a new impact of loss, I will miss her, as will Adrien I just......." He took a breath, "Need time"

Tom sighed, "After a while, Marinette is going to have to know what's going on, and there's the press as well, you're gonna have to tell them"

"That too........well, tough ain't it? I'll call Sabine and let them know"

"Marinette is going to come running to cheer him up" Tom assumed. 

Gabriel sighed sadly. 

_"Oh Emilie.......I'm going to miss your touch....your presence in the house......your cooking....your kisses.....everything......"_

Tom wiped the tears of Gabriel's cheeks, "Hey......" he said in a soothing tone. 

"Tom, you said that you haven't had sex for fifteen years, what did you do in the other two?"

Tom's face went stone serious, "Gabriel........do you really want an honest answer?"

Gabriel nodded, "I will decide what to do with the answer you give me"

Tom sighed, "Okay, so......you know when someone is stripped from you, their presence, their contact is gone?"

Gabriel nodded. 

"So.......I couldn't handle having Jake gone so......" He braced himself, "I went to bars in where I could get male prostitutes...."

Gabriel gasped. 

"I.....wanted to get myself to adapt to having him gone, so after a while I eventually stopped doing it, I eventually got myself to a stage when I could handle having no contact with anybody next to me all the time. We had sex every chance we got, it was hard to go out of that rhythm"

"I.....I'm so sorry......" 

Tom shook his head, "They weren't my best days........that's why I helped, you had pressure, you only did it with her, you're relaxed with her, having no contact with her has your body thinking that there was no way without her. That's why you struggled. I've been through that too"

Gabriel breathed his shock out. 

"I had to adjust to masturbation after a while because it felt so foreign........having something shoved up me is another thing completely"

"But it happened. How did it?"

Tom perked up a smirk, "I know a few tricks"

"Like what?"

"Staring can get you up easily"

"What? Nooo....."

"You wanna try?"

Gabriel shook his head.

"We could just do sword fights with it"

"Pffft, what? No, what are you, a kid?"

"It does sound very unattractive" Tom admitted. 

Gabriel smiled, thanking him for changing his mood. "Now, have you unpacked?"

"No"

"Let's get your suitcases inside your room, and we can go to your apartment to get everything you need"

"Thank you"

Gabriel then took Tom up to his new room, which was a room closest to his own, once they stepped in, Tom's mouth dropped. 

"What......? This is so spacious........I think I gotta pay rent"

"Your cooking and friendship pays the rent" 

"Well, you can't buy friendship can't you?" 

Gabriel smiled. 

"Erm, Gabriel......" 

Tom went ahead and gave him a big fat hug, in which Gabriel returned. 

"That's for being my best friend"

Gabriel felt his mood lighten. 

"And...." Tom kissed his cheek, "That's.....for everything else"

Gabriel put a hand on his cheek where he kissed him, it felt........like a little bit of hope and light mixed together. 

He gave him a kiss on the cheek back.

"That's for everything you give me and everything you are"

Tom's eyes widened, "But.....I'm not special"

"You are special to me"

 "Ah........how? I.....I don't......you are special, but how am I....?"

"You're very gifted, you have a lot to give, a kind heart is one of the things I love most, and not just to me, to everyone else around you. You have a bright spirit, it shows through your smile, your music and your love, it shows that you have brilliant qualities of a mother. You don't take sides, you sit on a fence most of the time, you see reality and take to it but you also like to aim for a positive outcome. You enjoy life with what you have and embrace what little you own, you don't take what you're given for granted, you always want to give something back. Despite your accidents you always want and try to be helpful, and see when someone wants to be left alone, ignoring your nature to cheer the person up. Honestly.......I don't see why you don't have any other friends, other than Emilie, I have never been so lucky to have you, and.....you're my first friend that I have ever had around my age, I wish we could have met up earlier, we could have helped each other"

Tom looked at Gabriel with such surprise to hear so many things that Gabriel thought good of him, he felt an overflow of emotions and the tears started coming up.

"We're not getting waterworks are we?" Gabriel chuckled, before Tom gave a laugh and his tears spilled over. 

"What's wrong?"

"I......" Tom sniffed as his tears rolled his cheeks, "My parents hate me, they call me a failure and a shame to the entire family.......it's sad to know that after everything that they taught me, they disown me with the spirit I grew up with........at first glance people will accept me but they don't see my spirit when they find out that I'm a girl.....it's hard for me to make friends....it was hard in the early 2000s and before that, other than Jake, no one has ever seen me like that.........."

Gabriel frowned as he watched Tom sob. 

"Tom.......those people that don't see the fact that you're much more than your body are completely ignorant"

Tom sobbed through laughter. 

"I've never got so many compliments like that before....."

"So that's why you said that you thought that you didn't deserve me"

Tom nodded. 

"Oh.....come here........you're like a child"

Tom went over and accepted a hug from Gabriel. 

After a while, Gabriel suddenly had an idea. 

"Hmm.....!"

"What? I know what that sound is, and I tell you, ideas are tricky"

"At least hear me out" Gabriel rolled his eyes. 

"Okay. Fine, at least it stops me crying" Tom wiped his eyes. 

"Remember when I said that I wouldn't model unless if you did it with me?"

"Uh huh" Tom nodded. 

"What if I spiffed you up, and we'd model together, I have some ideas, if we actually present you as a trans man, and show what you're actually capable of, it could raise awareness!" 

As Tom pictured it in his head, he made an embarrassed noise. "Erm, I love that idea but I'd have stage fight....."

"Believe me, you'd be so handsome that you'll feel like the king of the castle! No stage fright can conquer you!" 

"Erm.....was that a pun?"

Gabriel snorted when he found that he did in fact pun. 

"I'll take your word for it, if it pays the rent and it goes outside my work hours"

"Alright, if we put it on rent and do that, do we have a deal?"

"DEAL!" 

They shook hands, "So then, after we unpack for this room......we can make dinner, after that we have to start treatment"

"Treatment.....?"

"For your skin and hair"

"Erm........as much as I don't like the sound of it, I think I will feel better......and plus, Jake has always argued about the fact that I don't look after myself well....."

"Then there's no better time to start gaining a new habit"

Tom rolled his eyes. 

 

With the help of Gabriel and Duusuu, they got his room set up with the stuff that they unloaded from his suitcase. They put the old mugs away in the kitchen for cleaning, and put the old blanket in the wash, afterwards, Tom started cooking dinner in which Gabriel helped with, the new events have gotten his mind taken off Emilie for now. Every now and then he would write in his sketchbook, before continuing to help.

"Alright, I'll prepare the bowls, could you get Adrien if he's good enough to come?"

"I'll do that" Gabriel replied with a nod. 

He went into the lounge to see Adrien half alseep with Nooroo and Plagg sleeping on top of him. 

"Hey Adrien....." he called out to him softly and Adrien blinked awake. 

"Hmmm.......Dad?"

"Hey son"

Adrien blinked a bit more and rubbed his eyes, Plagg and Nooroo woke up as well, "It's so nice to hear your voice Dad......"

"Me too, it's time for dinner, are you decent?"

Adrien nodded, he looked half tired but he got up. 

They got seated and the kwami got their food, once Adrien got his first mouthful of noodles, he smiled at the taste and for a while, even for a moment, his spirits brightened up at Tom's home cooking. 

"So goooooood...."

""I'm glad they make you happy"

"Son, would you like me to tell Sabine about the previous events or would you like to tell them yourself?" Gabriel asked. 

"Well.......I think I would like to tell them, maybe it'll give me some ease"

Gabriel nodded to him with understanding, "Okay, when would be the best time?"

"Tomorrow morning when the pastries are fresh?"

Tom snorted. 

"Of course" Gabriel laughed, "Just don't overdo yourself"

"I wonth" Adrien replied with a mouthful of noodles. 

"Manners" Gabriel reminded him.

Adrien swallowed, "Says the person who farts lobster" He teased. 

"Oooooooooohhh!! Burn!" Tom teased. 

"Ha, nice" Gabriel glanced at Tom. 

Adrien broke into laughter. 

"And if you feel like you're not in a good condition to go to school, let me know, there will still be a therapist at the house once a week remember?"

Adrien nodded, "Yeah, if that will help, I'm sure I'll get through it"

"That's the spirit!" Tom said. 

Adrien perked up a smile. 

"There's going to be ups and downs but, don't hesitate to talk to me if you feel like you need it" Gabriel added. 

Adrien nodded, "Thanks Dad"

"So.....erm.....where is Nathalie?" Tom asked.

"She went home for the night"

Adrien sighed, "I.......I should apologise......I was upset and wasn't thinking clearly....."

"You can apologise when she comes back tomorrow"

Adrien nodded. 

"Also, be prepared for the next few photo shoots, Tom and I are going to join!" 

"What? REALLY?!" Adrien suddenly got excited. 

"Yeah, I'm going in because your Dad is shy"

"Am not"

"Pffft"

"He's going to need a lot of pampering tonight"

"Ohhhh? I'm certainly curious in seeing that come along...." Plagg grinned. 

Tom frowned. 

"But why? What will you guys be doing?"

"Oh well, gentlemans clothing, and for Tom......" He looked at Tom and realised that he hadn't told Adrien that he was transgender yet, it wasn't his secret to tell so he gave him eye communication.

"Oh, erm, kind of along the line of transgender male clothing? Well, I am transgender...."

Adrien's eyes widened at the new fact, then he looked at the table and groaned, "Wow.....I feel so dumb......"

"Why?" Tom asked and Gabriel was curious. 

Plagg didn't care. 

"Because........I thought you were turning my Dad gay but you're a girl......" 

"What?" Gabriel's voice squeaked. 

"I'm such an idiot......" 

"Son....." Gabriel sniggered, "Why would you think that?"

"Because of the supermarket, you two were acting so.......gay...."

"Oh!" Tom realised, and all of a sudden they both burst into bubbles of laughter. 

"IT'S NOT FUNNY!" Adrien argued in embarrassment. 

"Ohhhh Adrien......that's hilarious!!!" Tom slammed the table in laughter. 

Gabriel clutched at his stomach in fistfuls of laughter, "I'm gonna cry so baaaad"

Adrien pouted but then he realised something. 

"But then......when you two were in the shower......Tom, do you have....."

Their laughter stopped and chills started creeping up their spines. 

"A....." Adrien retreated back at their pale faces, "Down below?"

"It's......it's not what you think......" They managed. 

"It was an accident! An accident!"

"It wasn't sex or anything....."

"Kinda...." 

Then the two men looked at each other and made a run for it. 

"WAIT! WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED?!" Adrien yelled after them. 

 

"Best conversation ever" Plagg said as he took a bite of his cheese. 

Nooroo groaned heavily. 

"They're so in sync with each other~" Duuusuu awed.

 

"Are you ready?" Gabriel asked as he stood above Tom, as his friend sat on a plastic stool.

"Ready, I think I will be feeling refreshed after, you are using expensive shampoo on me. Though.....you're not gonna wax me or something are you?"

"You don't shave do you?"

"I shave......"

"Oh Tom, waxing will be much more painful......."

Tom gulped. 

"That's okay, we can just use cream"

"What? There are other ways?"

"Sure. Besides, since you seem to be sensitive, I think it would be way too painful for you"

"Thanks....that eases my mind"

"I will be taking care of myself as well since I will be modelling with you"

Tom smiled, "I feel soooo much better now"

Gabriel chuckled, "You can smile about it later" he said before he put a dollop of shampoo on his head and started threading his fingers through Tom's hair. 

 

Gabriel through fully scrubbed Tom's hair, before rinsing it, and putting some conditioner on.

"Is that......conditioner?"

"Yes"

"Weird, most men usually just use shampoo.....that's why you take a bit longer in washing your hair...."

"It'll make your hair much silkier, knowing many Japanese magazines, you'll look like one of those glistening models in no time"

Tom chuckled, "Makes me wish I could have done that earlier"

"Don't worry about it being pretty, you'll be very happy with it being soft"

Tom hummed happily. 

Gabriel washed his hair as well before he got a cream out, he basically smeared it all over the necessary areas on Tom and himself before they waited for thirty minutes, until then, Gabriel washed it all down and Tom watched in awe as all the hair just fell off like magic. 

"This is so much better than waxing!!"

"Skin next"

"Mooore?"

After doing a proper body wash and NOT falling over, Gabriel proceeded to do his eyebrows and his nails. 

"I feel like I'm getting a manicure....." Tom said as Gabriel was folding his nails, both half naked in the bathroom. 

Gabriel chuckled. 

"But I do feel so much better..........what stuff do you usually do?"

"I usually do suits and mens clothing, but I stopped since Emilie went missing. So.....I figured it's time to come back"

"Oh.......could I join you?"

"If you want"

"Then I'd like to do it!"

Gabriel smiled, "The workplace has lots of young people, many women would fawn over Adrien but with a personality like yours, you're going to make them fall over"

Tom chuckled, "Thanks. Though I'm gay, I do like girls, they're such a nice and caring gender of our species"

"Like you"

Tom blushed. 

"Come to think of it, the youth are more accepting these days aren't they?"

"They are, that's why I'd like to bring some happiness into your life by giving the opportunity for you to be yourself without any worries, or constraints, in a place where you can be truly happy. Your workplace is full of people your age right?"

Tom nodded. "They don't know my true gender, it feels so sad sometimes, way back, I had to hide myself completely, Jake was an opened door"

"Then trust me on this, being in a place where you don't have to hide anymore makes it the most wonderful place on earth"

Tom inhaled a breath, "You're giving me that?"

"Yes. You deserve it"

"I.......I don't know what to say......."

"When you told me of how lonely and how hard it has been for you, I knew that you deserve more, that's why I suggested it on the spot"

Tom gasped, "Thankyou!"

"It's my pleasure" Gabriel gave him a nod. "When you work with me, you'll have my gay hairdresser and charming female assistants, they are going to love you"

Tom sniffed, "I feel like I wanna quit my current job....."

"Hold your horses, I'm not going to stop your dream job, unless if you really really like it where I work"

And then came the waterworks.

"Awwwww......"

"I need a hug....." Tom sniffled. 

"There there..." Gabriel soothed as he hugged him. 

"S-sorry......I don't really act my age......"

"Seeing that I cry as well, I don't seem to either"

Tom chuckled, "Thanks"

"So, what do you think?" Gabriel asked. 

"About what?"

"Look in the mirror"

Tom let go of Gabriel and then looked in the mirror. 

"Is.......is that me?"

"Yeah, it is. Do you feel much better?"

"I look like a whole new me, I feel like a new me"

Gabriel was satisfied with that. "Well, there you go"

Tom looked at his hair and pushed his fringe back, he looked like a man with his hair all nice. "I love the new me!"

"I'm glad"

"I wanna go to bed like this!"

"Okay but don't let Adrien see you"

"I know, genius. I think that the first vagina that he wants to see is his girlfriends"

Gabriel rolled his eyes, "I will give you the appropriate products into your room"

"Thank you"

 

That night they bid each other a good sleep, and their two kwami left with their owners. 

Tom's new bed was luscious and far more comfortable than the hotel, he enjoyed it very well while hugging his body pillow.

"Well......good night Duusuu"

"Goodnight" Duusuu yawned and decided to sleep on the pillow that Tom made up, along with a nice blanket to cover her next to the bed on a tabletop. 

"Goodnight..........house" Tom looked at the ceiling. 

 

He couldn't sleep, he didn't know why, and it wasn't long before he realised that his body pillow wasn't working. 

"Oh why......oh why......" he groaned, and eventually he just kicked the pillow out of bed. He always used it as if Jake was there so he felt a little bad for doing that, but there was no helping it.

He got out of bed and thought that he could ask Gabriel if it was okay to join him. 

The hallways were dark, but the walls and floors were white so it wasn't that bad, the house is huge and luxurious. Butterfly patterns appeared everywhere, while the tiles were cold, the place smelled nice. 

"Tom?" A confused Gabriel appeared. "What are you doing?"

"I can't sleep. I have no one to sleep with"

Gabriel sighed, "I can't sleep either, there are too many memories of Emilie in my room, she has a permanent presence in there"

"Shall I pee on them?"

Gabriel made a noise, "What?"

"Mark my own memories?"

Gabriel sighed, he did have a way with words. "I would really like it if you were to join me"

"To be honest, me too......"

Gabriel smiled.

They quietly went to Gabriel's bedroom, went under the covers, as Tom snuggled up, they managed to go to sleep. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	27. Day 33

"Hmm......" Tom had never felt so comfortable before, it seemed that he had felt like he had jumped back in time when he used to sleep with Jake. Someone was cradling him in his arms, that chest.....arms.....

He smiled. 

He wasn't alone. 

"Gabriel?" He said. 

Gabriel mumbled. 

"Tom"

Tom froze. 

"Let go of my Dad" Adrien said behind Gabriel.

Tom looked up and saw Adrien, Adrien must have gotten in the bed at some time of the night, he didn't blame him, he must have wanted some company. 

"Well.....he's holding  _me_ , and frankly, he looks happy about it"

Adrien sighed, "Now I'm glad you're a girl"

Tom almost scowled, "Why?"

"Cause then you can't make my Dad gay"

"Why does that matter? As long as he's happy, that should make you happy"

Adrien's face almost immediately fell. 

"Why do you care if he's gay or anything?"

"Because.........Dad isn't.....he wouldn't be that way"

"He's a  _loving_ man, you don't choose who you love, you fall in love with someone, you are guided by your heart. What you see doesn't matter, it's person that does"

Adrien felt like he was getting a lecture, but a very good one. 

"Now you see me? Adrien.......I'm like this because I'm  _me, I am Tom._ Your Dad is the way he is, and if you can't come to love and respect that part of him.......then you're selfish" 

"Are you giving my son a lecture?" Gabriel spoke up, chuckling. 

Tom looked up to see Gabriel smiling upon him. "Huh?"

"He lectures me like Mom does" Adrien pointed out. 

"HUH?" 

"I have to admit, from yesterday, he is very good at explaining things very clearly. Like Mom" 

Tom blushed. 

"Well erm........thanks. I got it, maybe it wouldn't be so bad, I could tease him"

"Hey" Gabriel argued. 

Then Adrien figured something out, "Wait, if you had any kids with Jake, you would have been an awesome Mother, then I could have had friends my age"

Tom sighed, "I wish, but Jake is dead"

"Sad.......imagining it.....you would have made a few cute kids"

 

Tom nodded agreeably. 

Then the intercom turned on. 

_"Mr Agreste, are you awake?"_ Nathalie spoke from the speaker.

"Yes, I am, what is it?" Gabriel replied. 

"Mr and Mrs Yurazaki demand to see you"

Tom went pale and Gabriel noticed, "Okay, let them in and tell them that I'll be right down"

Once he turned it off, the two friends looked at each other and scrambled out of bed. 

"What's going on?" Adrien asked. 

"My parents are here!!" Tom squawked. 

"Oh shit shit shit shit...." Gabriel ran into his closet and grabbed a few suits, "Put these on, I hope they fit....."

Tom inspected the suits and found a light blue one, "Blue? Perfect" 

"They're expensive and they should fit you"

"Why put suits on?" Adrien asked. 

"To knock their socks off, hopefully"

"Give me an update on your folks, why would they be here?" Gabriel asked as he started dressing Tom up properly.

"Probably because they saw the magazine in some way and they want to know or demand why I'm hanging out with a famous fashion designer" 

"Damn, I've been through the same thing with Emilie. No worries, I know the jist"

Gabriel got a belt for him and put it on before putting his own suit on. After getting fully dressed, he then attended to Tom, doing up his tie and then going into the bathroom to get some hairspray to do his hair and Tom's, smoothing it out nicely and pinning his fringe back, it all looked nice on him. 

"Adrien, go and get dressed, we are heading down"

"Yes Dad" 

Duusuu and Nooroo went into their hiding places of their wielders suits. 

"Want me to go first or....?" Gabriel asked. 

"You go first, they like the man going first, my Mother is the American, my Dad is the Japanese guy so beware, they're strict as hell" Tom said as they started heading down the hall, "My Dad might want to kill you if he doesn't like you"

"Brilliant" Gabriel said sarcastically. 

"Ah" Tom moved to walk by Gabriel's side, Gabriel showing up first once they got to the stairs, first thing, they saw Nathalie looking up at them and two parents. 

The Mother had brown hair which seemed a little thick, it was straight at the top until down the bottom it had nice curls, with Tom's blue eyes and a soft figure, while the Father......who looked like the strict one, had black hair and obviously Japanese. He seemed.......concerned. 

**"Hello"** Gabriel started. 

**"So you're the man that was carrying my daughter on your shoulders?"** The Father asked. 

Gabriel immediately felt Tom's will to correct him but didn't bother to.

**"Yes I am"**

**"And took her into your own home?"**

**"Yes. How did you figure that out?"**

**"She wasn't at her French apartment so we tried you"**

Gabriel sighed, **"I was carrying _him_ because he had hurt his ankle and I offered him a ride to the clinic, two, he is a millionaire now and I was kidnapped a few days ago, I shared my house and gave him a guest room in good favor of giving him safety"**

**"He gave me a job as well for the rent Father, it's very fair, he's been a very good man and friend to me"** Tom said. 

**"Sakura"** His Father looked at him, **"Come down at once"**

Tom sighed, **"Yes Father"** he walked down with Gabriel following after and Tom seemed like he was embracing himself for some kind of impact. 

**"What on earth have you been doing? You haven't called us in years!"** He demanded. 

**"If I remember correctly, you didn't want to hear anything from me ever again"**

**"Sweetheart, you know you can't deny your true gender"** His Mother shook her head in disapproval.

**"I never chose to be born a girl, you didn't either. This is how I come out"** Tom started. 

**"We raised you and you never gave us anything in return!"**

**"You raised me perfectly! You are wonderful parents!"**

**"Then why become.....this?!"** His Father gestured to him. 

**"Why does it matter?"**

**"Because you're a girl!"**

**"I'm a girl that doesn't like boobs! Every morning I woke up in the early years of my life I felt like I was in the wrong body! That's how I feel"**

Before his parents could complain, he continued, **"You don't like coffee Father, fine, Mother, you don't like cooking, not okay in Japan but hell, it's all perfectly natural to like and dislike things! And they make who you are!"**

 His Mother and Father suddenly listened and that made sense. 

**"Remember the story of how you two fell in love? And everyone disapproved?"**

They nodded.

"How did you feel?"

**"Heartbreaking"**

**"Unsupported"**

**"Exactly! That's how I feel!"**

Their faces fell. 

**"Look, you see......they didn't approve of it because it wasn't a common thing to do, we are new to change, afraid of it too. And when we are put down to things that make us who we are.......it feels so sad, so unfair, because all I want, all we want, is to be loved, and to give that back, even if you may not understand how I work, at least give it a try......."**

They sighed at Tom and relaxed a bit. 

**"Guys, I love you, I miss you, I have always wanted to thank you for everything you have done for me but you never let me. I'm still the person you know, just please.........if you still disapprove at least talk to me once in a while...."**

His Father was frowning at him, **"Every time......why do you try to get to your heads with explanations every time we come to talk to you?"**

Tom frowned sadly, **"Cause.........I don't want my transsexual position to be something for you to think so badly of me.....I want you guys back, I want to be a family again......"** He sniffed. 

**"Then change your way of thinking, because it's getting out of hand"** His Mother said. 

Tom crumbled, **"The world has changed. Why can't you think good of me?"**

**"Because we can't see it Sakura"**

**"Then can you at least try to see me once in a while? Without any put downs?"**

His Father looked at him in the eye, **"We refuse to be seen with a failure of a daughter"**

**"Then why do you see me at all?"**

**"Because we want to see if you'll turn around, but it seems that you never will"**

Gabriel felt Tom's heart shrink. 

**"Don't you even love him?"** Gabriel asked. 

**"How can we? We don't even know her anymore, this person isn't our daughter"**

**"You don't want to even try?! That's it? You're giving up on your family, him, and yourselves??"**

**"That's it, she isn't worth our time"**

**"You gave up on her the moment she came into your lives"**

**"No, she gave up on us the moment she ran away from us, and the next, with a man who made it worse. Who was he again?"**

Tom held himself together, **"Jake, his name is Jake. He died in the World Trade Center"**

**"Oh.........I see that his fate has been sealed"**

Now Gabriel was angry, **"Alright, that's enough, I'm sure you had your time, you have to leave. He's wasting his time on you, clearly, you don't want to be here"**

**"At least pay for our tickets back home, you caused us trouble"** His Father said. 

**"You don't have anything to do with me, so I have nothing to pay for. I'm not your son, leave, goodbye"** Tom said blankly, it seemed that his heart broke. 

Then the Father got ticked off. **"Why you-"**

"Security!" Gabriel called. 

Then Gorilla came in to take them out of the house, Tom just stared at the ground, until the doors closed. 

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Duusuu came out. 

"What sad parents....." Nooroo added sadly. 

"Tom......." Gabriel started. 

Tom was shaking, and clearly upset. "They........disowned.....me....." he took it in, "They didn't even try...."

He couldn't hold back his tears. 

"Gabriel......." 

Then Adrien came running over to hug him, "I saw the whole thing, we've seen better days"

"Oh......thank you Adrien......"

"You're welcome" Adrien smiled, "Maybe a donut would suffice to cheer you up?"

Tom smiled and nodded, sniffling, "You still have to tell Marinette. Oh......we are not having good days aren't we?"

"Yeah.......that's why I thought.....why not go to the bakery? Marinette's parents are wonderful people"

"I agree" Gabriel said before joining in the hug, "We can have some cocoa, talk it out..eat and eventually fall asleep"

"Besides, you have us" Duuusuu said. 

"Thank you Adrien, Gabriel, Duusuu, Nooroo, you guys are the best"

Plagg chomped on his cheese noisily. 

 

Tom and Gabriel got changed into causal clothes before they all headed off to the bakery, they approached the back door, once they knocked and Sabine answered, she immediately felt the emotions between the three. "Oh you poor dears, bad day?" She asked. 

They all nodded. 

"Come inside, I'll make you all a nice cup of cocoa and we can all talk about it" She said with a smile. 

They quietly came into the family kitchen and eventually they were treated cocoa. 

"So now......what's the matter?" Sabine asked Gabriel.

"We found Emilie"

Sabine gasped in surprise. 

"Apparently she has been brain dead for the last month and we decided to let her go, she passed away peacefully yesterday"

Sabine's surprise shriveled into sadness. "Oh.......I'm so sorry......"

"I lost my wife, and Adrien lost a Mother, we are both miserable"

"What about you?" Sabine asked Tom. 

"Disowned" Tom said admittedly. 

"Oh you poor dear......what's your name?"

"Tom. I'm Gabriel's friend, he happened to have saved my life long ago and we recently found each other"

"Oh, that's a good thing that has happened! I'm Sabine, it's nice to meet you sweetie"

Tom smiled a little, "You too. Your cocoa is......really nice, it melts in my mouth"

"It truly does" Adrien agreed. 

"Thank you"

Gabriel gave Tom a pat on the back. 

"Adrien!!" Marinette called out as she came, Adrien felt happy to hear her cheerful voice. 

"Marinette....." Adrien turned around and she suddenly could feel the tension, "Adrien? What's wrong?"

"Sweetie, they just lost Emilie yesterday" Sabine explained. 

"OH no.....!" She gasped, before looking at Gabriel who looked a bit sullen, including Tom. "I'm so sorry about your loss......I noticed that you weren't wearing your wedding ring so it must have been hard....."

"I didn't want to make anyone worry until I was certain of the information Tom found, he got it from Nathalie and he passed it onto me, until we got a hold of the situation, we found her...... and it seems that she was brain dead for a month"

"I see......what a sad event after we just came home....."

"Let's not let the current events take over our fabulous week, have you told them about what happened during the week?" Tom asked. 

"Oh! I didn't want to tell them anything until you guys got to come over and have the chance to share as well!"

"Please, tell me everything that happened on your trip!" Sabine encouraged. 

And Adrien started telling her everything as Marinette added things along. Bit by bit, their spirits were restored. 

Then Gabriel's phone rang, by instinct, he picked it up and Nathalie spoke. 

_"Sir"_ She said, pausing after that word, her voice sounded happy, _"You letter from the clinic just arrived...."_

"Oh really?" He looked at everyone who were more than distracted as they were talking about their trip and kept his ear against the phone. "Is there something I should know?"

_"Gabriel, you and Tom are both in the clear. No pregnancy either"_

 

"Great. I will see you at home then"

_"Have a good time"_  

 

 

It seemed that being with the Dupain-Chengs made their day better, even for Adrien which was heartwarming for Gabriel, he was glad that he had people to be with and to share his ups and downs. 

But with the thought that Tom had just lost his parents......

He sighed, he knew that he was the only one left around in his life.....

He went ahead and hugged Tom from behind. 

"Wha- what are you doing?" Tom asked. 

"Hugging you"

"Why? We're in the bakery, people can see us!!" 

As everyone took notice, Tom squirmed out of Gabriel's hold. He seemed a bit flustered while looking at Gabriel with wide eyes. 

"What a nice friend you have Gabriel" Sabine commented. 

"He has the same name as me!" Mr Dupain spoke up once he joined them. 

Tom's head whipped around to the larger man and his eyes went comically wide. 

"Erm.....hi?" He said nervously. 

"No need to be afraid, he may be big, but he's a softie" Sabine chuckled. 

"Hello young man!" Tom's voice boomed happily. 

His booming voice and size didn't help, he clung onto Gabriel immediately. 

"Now you change your mind....." Gabriel rolled his eyes. 

Adrien rose an eye, grinning. 

"Now now, introduce yourself Tom" Gabriel said. 

"I'm......Tom.......hello....."

"Are you the man that cooked for my daughter?" Mr Dupain asked. 

"Ye-....yes....." 

"Well then! She couldn't stop telling me about your cooking the other day, I was jealous!" 

"Really? Well I did offer to teach you how to make some of the dishes I make...."

"What about the dumplings?" Marinette asked. 

"Oh, you mean the gyoza...."

"I haven't heard of those......" Sabine said. 

"They're Japanese dumplings" Tom explained. "Would you like me to show you how to make them someday?"

"If they're that delicious then I'm interested, what time is best for you?"

"Maybe tomorrow after I have finished work? Around.....five?"

"Perfect! Just when the shop closes"

Tom turned to Gabriel and whispered, "Wish me luck, I'm afraid of people with big figures........they're just scary...."

"Call me when you're coming back okay?" 

Tom nodded. 

 

Gabriel let Tom cling to him. 

"I made them ramen......yakisoba, rice.....hot pot..."

"Wow! You must be good then!"

 

Tom finally let him go when they left.

"At least you didn't hang on my Dad's body when we left....." Adrien said. 

"Tch......I wasn't...." Tom grumbled. 

Adrien laughed. 

"Oh!" Tom felt his phone vibrate and he picked it up to read a text, "Ah! It's arrived!"

"Mum?"

"Oh yeah! I'm going to go and pick it up, you two head home and I'll get back before dinner" He started making a turn. 

"Hey, how are you going to get there and back?" Gabriel called after him. 

"I have my own ways of travel! See ya after!" He ran off into an alley and they saw Le Paon right after, flying up in the sky. 

"Geez......he better be careful, but.....he's beautiful isn't he?"

"Yeah he is isn't he? He's so fluffy in the feathers"

"What was Mum like?"

"Well.....she was very graceful, her tail was used as a dress, she had a crest, and a fan as a weapon, very....very beautiful" 

Adrien smiled as he imagine it. "Let's get home so we can see Mum again, she'll be happy to get home"

_"I could ask Duusuu what she was like too"_ Adrien thought as they walked home, it wasn't too far anyway. 

When they got home, Adrien waited anxiously at the door for Tom to come back with Mum, he wondered what he may have done with her. 

_"It better be good"_ Adrien thought. 

Soon, the door opened and Tom came in with a box in his hands, Adrien sprung up from the floor excitedly, "She's here! She's here!!" 

His excitement got Gabriel down the stairs. 

"You finally got her back home....." Gabriel smiled. 

"Let's go in the lounge, we can open the box there" Tom suggested and Adrien ran into the lounge. 

 

Tom brought the box in the middle of the blankets and Gabriel and Adrien sat down around it. 

He opened it up, and among all of the packers, he pulled out......

 

Adrien and Gabriel gasped. They were utterly lost for words. 

It was a huge glass ball, with green for her eyes, blonde for her hair, gold for her marriage......and her ashes mixed upon those colors inside, they swirled beautifully together. 

"Tom......you really have outdone yourself" Gabriel said at the verge of tears. 

Adrien was shaking. 

_This was perfect._

_He could pick her up, touch her, hug her...._

"Mom......" he sniffed, reaching out to her, Tom placed the ball in his arms and immediately it felt like he was holding her. 

He burst into tears as he held her and for a moment he imagined in his mind that she wouldn't want him to cry, but he just held her and hugged her with his cheek on the surface. 

"You can raise her to the sun if you want to, she'll reflect some light" Tom suggested. 

Adrien turned around to the windows and looked at the sun, before he lifted her towards it and suddenly.....

Light was reflected off the glass, shining her beautiful colors across the room. 

"Is the gold...?"

"Yeah, it's your marriage rings"

"What about her engagement ring?"

"It's mixed in with the gold"

"That's.......thank you so very very much....." Gabriel wiped a tear from his eye. 

Tom gave him a hug, their cheeks pressed together. Adrien was so happy to have his Mother back, and in the most wonderful way. 

"I'm gonna put her in the dining room, so she can see all of us when we come together for our meals" Adrien decided. 

"That's the perfect spot Adrien" Gabriel smiled as Adrien gave her to him, he wrapped his arms around the ball and.......he felt......complete, she's home, she's happy, she's not in pain, and she still loves him. 

"Welcome home Emilie dear" he said. 

 

"Adventurous day huh? But life continues on and we go back to work tomorrow including Adrien" Tom said after dinner in the library. 

"I will announce her death by lunchtime tomorrow. And.....I will find a schedule for you" Gabriel said as he sat in his chair by the window. 

Duusuu and Nooroo decided to sit and take a nap by an empty gap on one of the bookshelves, but meanwhile Nathalie hasn't spoken to him so that's a plus. 

Tom hummed, "You have such a beautiful place" he said as he leaned against the window. 

"Does it make you comfortable?" Gabriel was hoping that he would find it suitable, especially now that he's living with him now. 

"I.......it has so much space but I feel like I'm wrapped in a cloud of safety and freedom. It looks like a mansion but it feels like a family home" He closed his eyes and breathed in the feeling, "It's beautiful here"

Gabriel smiled in relief, "I'm glad, I made it to make you feel that way, like you're not in the city. That's why I prefer to work here where I can gain my composure and be relaxed without any tension"

"You designed the place?"

"I did"

As Tom leaned against the window looking out, Gabriel got up, grabbed a chair and moved it over in front of his table where he sat. "Here, sit down"

"Oh? Thanks" Tom happily sat down and made himself comfortable. 

"Ah, before I forget, let's get to your apartment and start packing up, even if we get a little done tonight, we can get some work done" Tom reminded him. 

"Then let's get going. Nooroo, Duusuu, do you mind?"

"Sure!" Duusuu said happily. 

 

Gabriel didn't realise how little things Tom had in his small and lonely apartment and they got everything packed up and ready at the first flight. Tom seemed happy to leave his small place with just three suitcases.....

Well, whatever. 

Once they got home, they placed the cases on Tom's bed and put everything away. 

"Just don't touch my ladies things......okay?" Tom said shyly. 

"What?" he smirked, "You're shy on a little thing? I've seen these hundreds of times with Emilie...."

Tom grumbled. "That's different....."

"Oh, by the way, I have some more left over, want them?"

"Gabrieeeeeel......" Tom whined. 

"Okay okay" Gabriel laughed, "I'll stop teasing"

 

"Oh. Do we have any bedroom rules, we do sleep together after all...."

"Hmm....."

 

Nooroo didn't like the sound of this. 

 


	28. Day 34

 When Gabriel woke up, Tom was on his chest sleeping. 

_"Cute........."_

His hair was ruffled, and he could see his chest rise and go down, it was a nice sight to see. 

Smiling, Emilie used to be the one at his side, now......it's Tom. 

And.....it wasn't bad. He was glad. 

He looked at the time and it was five am. 

"Tom......Tom" He woke him up softly and Tom woke up, "Wha.....what?"

"What time do you leave for work?"

"About eight......you?"

"Six thirty wake up"

"Blimey, you need more sleep"

"That's just what I do"

"Nah uh, you're waking up the same time as me, that's too early"

"But-"

"No buts! Emilie left me in charge"

"Ohhh? Are you my wife now?"

"Wha- nonononoimnott!!!" Tom blushed. 

"Just teasing" Gabriel grinned. 

Tom immediately pouted. 

"Is my chest comfy?"

"Ah? Errr......yes, is that bad?"

"No, I find it cute, feel welcome to cuddle with me"

Tom hummed happily and placed his chin on Gabriel's chest and he got a ruffle of his hair, feeling Gabriel's fingers was nice. 

There was peaceful atmosphere around them. 

"Hey, would you like some water, I'm gonna get some water" 

"Ice cold water, it's in the kitchen, would you like me to show you the way?"

"I can figure it out"

"Are you sure....? It's a big house....."

"A mansion" Tom corrected, "It's okay, I'll make my way out"

"Out....?"

"I'll be fine. I'll bring a few cups and some water, I'll be back"

"Just......don't slip over the tiles or something" Gabriel said as Tom got out of bed and left the room. 

 

House was eerie quiet and the tiles were cold, they almost made him shiver but the house also made him feel like he was shielded and made his way to the kitchen. He had been there before so he remembered the route. 

"Now........" He stepped inside and saw a light from what seems to be the fridge, "What the..." He turned the lights on and Adrien came into view, he immediately squinted his eyes. 

"Owww oww....." 

"Stupid" Plagg muttered. 

"What are you doing here with the lights off?" Tom asked as he walked in and approached him. 

"I was thirsty.......I have had two glasses of water but I don't seem satisfied....."

"He could just eat some cheese......" Plagg suggested, "But he doesn't listen. He keeps crying like a baby"

Tom frowned when he noticed Adrien's slightly reddened eyes, he must have been crying, the poor lad. 

"Well....." Tom took a thought and looked in the fridge, there were lots of things but there were also frozen berries. 

"Wait, would you like a mixed berry smoothie?"

Adrien's eyes brightened at the idea, "Yeaaaah......I'd love one"

Tom got some raspberries, strawberries and blackberries along with some banana and honey mixed in with milk and ice cream, got that mixed up in a machine and poured its contents in a glass. 

"Here, I hope this is nice" Tom gave him the glass and Adrien took a sip. 

"How is it?"

"Hmmmmmm!!!" Adrien found the drink absolutely delicious and downed another gulp. "This is reeeaalllly goooooood!"

"Good. Just make sure you go to the restroom before you go to sleep, it's not nice to wake up having to go"

"I'll take note, thanks Tom, you really are the best, I've never had homemade stuff like this since Mom went missing. I always miss these kind of things, I love them"

That made Tom smile. 

"I've been in Gabriel's dreams, she is a very lovely person"

"You've met her?"

"Hmm hmm, she asked me to look after your Dad"

Adrien gasped softly, "She did?"

"Yeah, and I asked her to look after Jake. Of course, I love your Dad, I'd always take care of him as long as he does the same for me"

"We'd all look after each other" Adrien agreed. 

"Yeah....."

Adrien took another gulp of that smoothie. 

"So, you.......love my Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"In.......what way?"

"Er, Adrien......" he got the message,  _"Does he think that we might potentially be dating....?",_ "We are very close, that's all I can say"

Adrien smiled, "I'm glad. Dad can share things with someone around his age...........you two must be happy together"

Tom was surprised at those words, "What do you mean? We're not like dating or anything"

"No, but you're happy right?"

Tom nodded. 

"So that's that, it's a fact. You guys are happy with each others company, best friends or not, I'd like my Dad to be happy. I am happy with Marinette with me, so I get it, and I have my friends too so........look after my Dad"

_"He's such a good lad....."_

"I will"

As Adrien finished his smoothie, washed the cup in the sink and put it in the tray nearby. 

"That was delicious, thank you"

"You're welcome, do you need me to get you back to your room or I trust that you can go yourself?"

"Hmmm....." Adrien gave it some thought. "Actually, I haven't been tucked in for ages......and it's cold without my blanket properly tucked"

"Would you like me to.....?"

"Please? I know it's a weird request......"

"I'll come along and help you with those blankets. Maybe we could consider giving you a fluffier doona"

"That's why I told Dad to put one on his bed......." 

"Oh really? Then I'll speak to him about that"

"Thanks!" 

Tom was guided out of the kitchen, "I see that's why you like those big blankets in the lounge room"

"They make you feel like a fluffy cloud"

"They do don't they?" Tom agreed. 

"But what about the cheeeeeeese......" Plagg asked as he looked back at the kitchen door. 

"You had your third serving"

"Awwwwwww!!!!" Plagg wined. "But it's five am, can't I have my first serving nooooooooowwwwww??????!"

"Till breakfast Plagg"

"You're no fun!"

"There are rules for a reason Plagg, as a millennium year old, you should know better than wasting Gabriel's money" Tom stated. 

"Ouch" Adrien winced at that burn with a chuckle and Plagg scowled. 

"Once they got to Adrien's bedroom, Plagg went to his hiding place to sleep while Adrien hopped into bed and Tom tucked him in. The blanket barely covered his shoulder, so he pulled it up hard so he could get it to reach his neck. 

"Alright, is that better?" 

"So much better, thank you!" 

"No worries, you get some sleep okay, you have school tomorrow"

Adrien nodded, "Yeah. Goodnight Tom!" 

"Goodnight lad" Tom said before stepping out, and closing the door silently. 

He sighed, he's such a good lad. He went back to the kitchen to get that water and two glasses before heading back to Gabriel's bedroom"

"Hey, what took you so long? I hope you didn't get lost....."

"I didn't, I bumped into Adrien, he couldn't figure out what he wanted to drink so I made him a mixed berry smoothie before tucking him into bed at his request"

" _You_ tucked him into bed?" Gabriel's eyes widened at hearing that. 

"Yeah, you should get him a doona, it'll make him so much more comfortable" 

"I forgot, Emilie always tucked him in. That's like some sort of privilege, and that's when he was a child, he's a teenager now"

"Huh" Tom set the glasses down and poured some water in. "Here we go"

"Thanks" Gabriel said as they took their glass and had a sip. 

"Aaah, that hit's the spot" Tom sighed happily. 

"It always does. Well, you have a talent of knowing how young ones think and what they want" 

"Yeah. I've always had it"

"Shame. Adrien's birthday is coming soon, what about yours?"

"Erm.......its' on February 30th....."

"What?! That's such a nuisance!"

Tom laughed, "Yeah, it's inconvenient too....." 

 "So do you just celebrate on the 29th?"

"Yeah, it's easier to do that"

"Well....." Tom put his head on Gabriel's shoulder, "That's how it is"

 

 

 

As Tom arrived at work hours later, entering the Grand Paris Hotel, he approached Jagged Stones office and saw his workmates....

They were all grinning at him, the guitar player Joan, bass, Yuki, drums, Harry, the sound editor, animator, everyone.......were grinning at him. 

"......What?" Tom asked. 

"What's with you and Gabriel? Are you guys an item all of a sudden?" Yuki teased. 

"Guys........." Tom sighed. 

"You guys seem so cuddly in the magazine!" 

"Are not....."

"Are too! Piggybacker~"

Tom sighed, "It's gossip...."

"Did you have a good trip with him?"

"Was he lovey dovey?"

Then the crew started singing, "GABRIEL AND TOM, SITTING IN A TREE- K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" They all laughed. 

"You guys are such a tease......" Tom rolled his eyes as he took his seat by his desk.

"We're just having fun with you" Harry, the sound editor said. 

"As usual....."

Then Jagged came in to silence their teasing. "Hello everyone! Before we start work, I have an announcement to make, Gabriel just made word with me himself that Emilie Agreste was found last week"

"Oh?" Everyone rose eyes in surprise. 

"But unfortunately she was in a crash, she had a brain injury and sadly had to be let go. She died two days ago"

"Oh no.....". Sad and concerned chatter spread through the office. 

"We must give our condolences to the family, the poor bloke lost his wife and his son, a Mother"

"Poor Adrien....."

"But we must not let this day be sad! We will celebrate Emilie's life tonight, she was a very lovely lady, and she will be missed"

Everyone agreed. 

"Now......let's get to work!" 

Tom went off to gather the music sheets. 

"Ah Tom, how was your vacation?" Jagged asked. 

People in the office sniggered. 

"It was wonderful thank you, I deserved the rest"

"Yeah right you did" Josh said, he was the one that gave his ticket to Tom. 

Then Jagged took a good look at Tom. 

"Ah. Did you have a really good bath? Your skin looks nicer than usual....."

"I was given really good advice on how to look after myself nicely"

More sniggers from everyone. 

Tom rolled his eyes at them. 

"How nice! It's good to see that you're looking after yourself more!"

"Oh and......"

_"It's going to be funny to see their faces, since they only think that the picture isn't real and only gossip........they tease me all the time with such fake stuff..."_

"Gabriel hired me" 

Everyone gasped. 

"But the work isn't going to interrupt my time here. I thought I'd let you know"

"Whaaaaaat?" 

"You're kidding us right?!" 

"Tom that's not funny!!" 

Then his phone rang, once he picked it up, Gabriel answered,  _"Hello"_

"Hey Gabriel, hows it goin'?" He said out loud to tease his workmates. Everyone went on high alert. 

_"Good morning, you were out by the time I woke up"_

"Oh. Sorry about that, did you have your chef to make you breakfast instead?"

_"Adrien's face fell when I told him that you're at work at breakfast. Maybe he wanted to say goodbye before you left......"_

"That's just cute. Why did you call me anyway?"

_"Ahahaha, how are you feeling?"_

"I'm fine.....I'm.....perky, don't work too hard okay? The team want to celebrate Emilie and I'm sure I'm not going to get back home till late"

_"Alright, don't drink so much or we will have a repeat"_

"The guys know that very well, I will just drink apple juice as usual........"

_"Oh by the way. I just realised........your workmates don't know you're trans correct?"_

"Yeaaaah.....?"

_"IF you're going to present yourself as trans, it's going to get out and they're going to notice in the papers and the gossip mags....."_

Tom froze, oh, he's right, he didn't realise.......     

He turned around and looked at his mates, before walking out of the room and getting in a corner, he didn't want them to hear this conversation. 

_"Do you want to change your mind and just team up with me or....?"_

"I'll figure something out.........if they turn on me it's not worth it"

_"Would you like me to help you.......?"_

He stopped and took a thought. Maybe he just would give a clue and make it a surprise......but then again, not everyone gave the best reaction...... No matter how he does it, it always goes for the worst.....

He sighed. 

_"Judging by that sigh, I can plan something for you. I'll talk to Jagged, he's a business partner and we will figure something out to make you feel more comfortable okay?"_

"Okay. Thanks.....really....."

_"No worries, I'll call you soon alright?"_

"Thanks again. Have a good day Gabriel" he ended the call.

As he turned around and went back to the office.......everyone was giving him curious looks. 

"Well......that's some drama!" Jagged said, "How is the bloke?"

"He's okay, just.....dandy"

"Is he going to have a funeral?"

"Oh no, apparently it's private. Emilie had a last wish, she wanted to come home so they had her ashes in a nice glass ball made with colors that represented her, Adrien put it in the dining room where they can see her every morning. It's nice"

"That's a lovely thing to do! Go ahead with that job and tell me all about it, it's all good!" 

"Thanks Jagged"

Jagged gave a nod and left the room, once he did the work place exploded. 

"So  _Gabriel_ taught you all  _that_?!" 

"Yup. Every single hair of it"

"So, what is he like? He's known to be the most mean and strictest man known to earth!"

"Oh phooey, rumors. He's a softie"

"Really?"

"He handles me like a little bird"

_"Maybe handle isn't the right word......"_

The next set of looks he received were concerning......

 

"So what are you gonna do?" Nooroo asked Gabriel. 

"I'm going to pay Jagged Stone a visit, and give Tom his lunch that he left behind this morning...."

Nooroo chuckled, "How forgetful!"

"But he makes his own lunch, how nice......he has skills. I swear whatever he made smelled nice"

Nooroo hummed, "You know what, you're right, he does deserve more"

Gabriel smiled at his kwami. 

"He treats life as a special thing, he doesn't take it for granted but life always backfires on him because of who he is. He is more than lucky to have you" 

"Yeah........and since that he knows who Hawkmoth truly is inside, I feel lucky too"

With a nod, he felt some confidence build up. 

"Alright, I'm going to work hard"

 

 

"Hey Tom!" Gabriel greeted his best friend at his office and Tom almost jumped through the roof. 

"GABRIEL! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" He whispered. 

"You left your lunch behind silly" Gabriel handed him his lunch. 

"Oh thank you! I'm so silly........" Tom received his lunch.  

Everyone else in the office was surprised to see him but kept themselves to work. 

"So, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to talk to Jagged and I'll get back to you okay?" 

Tom nodded. "Okay"

 

Gabriel then walked through the office and approached Jagged's private office. Knocking on the door, Penny opened it. 

"Oh Gabriel! Hello!" She greeted. 

"Hello Penny, can I come in?"

"Sure, of course, come in" She let him in and Jagged stood up instantly when he saw him. 

"Gabriel! How nice to see you, I'm so sorry to hear about Emilie"

"Thank you Jagged, that's very appreciated"

"So what brings you here, it's rare for you to come out"

"Actually, I would like to speak to you about a delicate situation that I intend to handle carefully"

"Oh? Please, sit down, talk to me"

Gabriel made himself comfortable in his office by sitting down on a chair in front of Jagged's desk. 

"One of your employees here is transgender" Gabriel started. 

"Eh? How did you hear of that?"

"You see, I hired one of your people to work in my side of work and I would like him to try out the LGBTIQ section, but he isn't exactly "out" yet and I would like to help him on that matter as his personal experiences in the past haven't been positive"

"I see.......I'm sorry to hear that. But rest assured I'm not against those folk, they're cool and very themselves"

"That's very like you Jagged" Gabriel smiled, "I'm glad"

"But this guy you speak of......it's Tom isn't it?" 

"Erm......yes"

"I see. That kind of explains some things"

"Things?"

"Every month, there is a week when he seems very drained, I thought that it was because that he works hard and comes to a breaking point but that seems to be a monthly am I right?"

"Yes, you are"

"Wow.....poor mate, no wonder he doesn't apply himself to the group that much"

"He is merely scared Jagged, that's why I need your help. His parents just disowned him and he wants to be in a place where he can be accepted, but the first two steps are rather mentally frightening"

Jagged's face dropped, "Oh.........I see, then......we will come up with a plan"

"Thank you"

 

Tom needed to breathe, because at any moment, surely Jagged will know and he will very likely get fired by the end of the day. But this is his job, his  _dream_ job and he can't lose it, he needed to keep himself together on what is to come. 

He took a deep breath.........and exhaled. He needed to continue on making those tracks. Not be scared and frightened. Work work work. 

 

 

"So Gabriel, after what you just told me, I think that there's much more to Tom that I don't know about" Jagged said. 

"Yeah. There is"

"You guys are really close huh....."

"We are, he's my best friend"

Jagged hummed happily, "Good for you mate"

"So......we don't want to force him to come out, we need to do it slowly and smoothly"

"How about we just have one person realise one at a time, and not all at once? It would be a rush of too much emotions"

"That's a good idea"

"I mean, I know my guys, they are all good with it so I don't see whether if they will be mad"

"They have always wanted to get along with him, problem is that he won't open up" Penny recalled, "They have told me that many times before"

"I see. Then.......I think I have the perfect plan"

 

Tom's head was hurting, _"W_ _hat is taking so long......? Maybe Gabriel is arguing with him for sure....."_

The tension was killing him. 

_"Well, if it comes down to anything, I will go there at once and ask about whether he is going to fire me and leave......I cannot waste time on my emotions anymore....."_

He got up and left for Jagged's office. 

Shaking slightly, he knocked on the door and Penny came out. "Oh Tom! Do you want to come in?"

"Er.....erm.....yes?" He said in the best normal voice.

"Come in" She carefully let him in and once he came into Jagged's view, the man stood straight up and Tom almost jumped out of surprise. 

"It's okay Tom, he's all good" Gabriel assured. 

"You- you mean I'm not getting fired?" Tom asked. 

"Of course not mate! You're special!" 

"I am?" 

Jagged was giving him a big smile, "You are one of my best people in the group, the last thing I'd want to do is fire you. I'd never imagine doing that"

Tom took in a slow breath, "Really?"

Gabriel stood up and put a hand on Tom's shoulder, "Yeah, really. You're all good so don't fret"

Tom couldn't believe it, he wasn't getting fired. 

"I'm not getting fired......" He said to himself. 

"Nope"

"I'm  _not_ getting fired......"

"Tom...?"

"I'm not getting.........I need a seat" Tom was taking it in and he needed to sit down, as Gabriel got him a seat, he got down and he took a few breaths in. 

"Are you alright mate?" Jagged asked. 

"So.....I'm NOT getting fired?!" 

"Er.....no"

"Oh god that's a huge relief!!!" 

Jagged laughed, "You're good mate, besides, everyone in the office asks about whether I know anything about you"

"They do?"

"Yeah, they have a sense that you're holding back, they want to get to know you more. They care about you, they really do"

Tom looked down a bit, "Do.......you really think they'll accept me?"

"I don't see why not"

Tom thought for a little moment more. 

"Tell you what, when we go out for dinner to celebrate Emilie, I could announce it then"

Tom hummed, "Actually, that's a better idea. Answering their questions"

"You want to do that?"

"Yeah, thank you sir"

"Call me Jagged Tom, I feel like I have met the real you" 

Tom smiled wide, a load of baggage was dropped off his shoulders, he got up and gave his boss a hug, "Thank you, Jagged"

Jagged was surprised but patted his employee on the shoulder, "No worries mate"

 

"That was actually better than I thought" Tom said as he was guided out of the office by Gabriel, "Thank you so much"

"My pleasure, take care of yourself" They hugged each other, and Gabriel gave him a pat on the back, "-and eat your lunch"

"Don't forget to feed yourself too"

"I won't" Gabriel chuckled, "I'll see you later then" 

"Have a good day" Tom waved him off. 

And once Gabriel was out of sight, Tom turned around- and saw all of his work mates watching him. 

He froze. "They _really do want to know me more....."_

"Mate, if you're gay, we're cool" Yuki said. 

Then Tom's face flushed red, " _What?!_ No!- I'm not- I'm not gay!!" He waved his arms in dismissal. 

They chuckled, "Right" and Yuki winked at him. 

"What are you guys talking about?! We're really close friends!!"

"Gabriel doesn't make friends that easily, it's obvious that he _likes_ you" They teased. 

"Not in that way!"

"Signs that he likes you: 1. Sleeps with you in bed, 2. Masturbates with you, 3. Gives beauty treatments, 4. Being open about practically anything, 5. Shows that he cares..... 6. Showering together, 7. I actually heard that he's a one person man, once he likes someone he complete equips himself to them"

Tom's face fell in horror, because he ticks all of the boxes. And he confessed love to him the other day. 

"I..........."

Jake did the same exact stuff too. 

"So you are gay for him!" They gasped, excited to hear the new information. 

"Geez you guys, I'm not gay for him! It's not like he kissed me on the cheek before he left or anything!" He said before doing a "humph", turning away, suddenly he bumped into a locker like the clumsy guy he is, his suitcase went flying out of his arms and stuff flew out. 

"Ow......"

"Geez man, are you alright? That's the tenth time you bumped into that thing in the last three weeks" They approached him. 

"I'm fine, my nose has sustained plenty of accidents" Tom rubbed his sore nose. 

"Hey Tom" Harry said. 

"Yeah?" Tom turned to his workmate. 

"Why on earth do you have pads in your bag?" Harry displayed a pad. 

Suddenly all eyes we're on him. 

"Erm- they're for nosebleeds-"

"They aren't tampons mate" Harry shook his head. 

Tom started to panic, "Erm- erm......errr......" 

Everyone started to worry since he was panicking more in seconds rather fast. 

Tom couldn't keep it a secret anymore, so, like an idiot, he yelled, "I'M A WOMAN!!!" 

Eyes lit up in surprise, and Tom's face turned beet red. 

"Eh....?"

"UM- TRANSGENDER- I MEAN-" Then he screamed silently, "Aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrgghhhhhhhhhhhhh!" 

After a while, it took a bit for them to register the new information, before they spoke again. 

"Man, we lost a bet" One of them frowned. 

Tom suddenly gaped, "What?"

"We suspected something for a long time and we didn't know what so we had to guess" They explained. 

"You're always a mystery, so at some point we always thought way you didn't show much of a bulge and joked that you we're secretly hiding a small penis, the hotel department thought you we're a girl because of your one week drain outs but nah. Then we thought that you we're intersex"

"Believe us, we guess things all the time. You're a puzzle...."

Tom sighed, "Oh you guys......seriously?" He had to hold his heart. 

"That's why we tease you, to try and get something out of that mysterious secret of yours. We always had a feeling, you're always drawn back and it's like you're hiding something"

"We're really sorry if we hurt you, we only mean well......"

"You're our man Tom, we all want to get along"

Tom was shocked, and surprised, and so happy all at the same time. He wanted to explode in giggles. 

But instead, he was smiling widely, genuine and brilliantly happy. 

"You guys are the best!!" He came in and gave them all a hug, they all awed and they came into a group hug. 

 

 

Meanwhile Jagged spotted a letter on his desk. A purple letter. Hawkmoth purple. 

He looked at it suspiciously, is Hawkmoth doing letters instead of butterflies now? Or  _is_ it from Hawkmoth?

But.....what's so frightening about a letter? 

_"But a butterfly couldn't have the notion to hurt a fly until I saw akumas....."_

Well, whatever happened, if it is from Hawkmoth, and it attacks him, Ladybug and Chat Noir will save him, they always do. 

He picked it up and slowly opened the envelope. 

Nothing happened. 

He took the letter out of the envelope.

Nothing happened. 

_"Nothing is going to jump on me when I open it will there?"_ He thought. 

So he opened the note slowly and closed his eyes, bracing himself for anything. 

................

Nothing happened. 

"Ok, what's the big deal?" He questioned. 

Then he looked at the contents. 

Well for one, this is beautiful handwriting, so he started reading it. 

 

_"Dear Jagged Stone,_

 

_Upon the last year you were akumatised under the condition that you we're angered by a young competitor,_

_I took advantage of those emotions and took control of your own free will,_

_I apologise greatly and deeply for my actions._

_Knowing as a man around your age myself, I know that it is difficult to have people who strive to rise above you and take away your popularity,_

_Know that you have a goal, belief, and a positive way of moving forward in any direction you take._

_Don't let anyone's opinion strip that confidence and determination, that makes you who you are and that's what makes your music so popular, people can feel your passion in that._

_My son, Chat Noir is a fan of yours, he has expressed great interest in your albums and concerts over a long period of time and for many years to come,_

_Having a personality like yours will strive for a very long time. Don't ever give up, and don't stop sharing your passion._

_I will always be around to hear of your forthcoming's and success in what you do._

_Again, I apologise for the stress, confusion, and upset in the after effects of my akumatisation that was caused._

_I don't expect you to forgive me now or ever in the future, or ever relieve any hate that you may have towards me,_

_Stay well Jagged._

 

_Deepest regards,_

 

_Hawkmoth- Wielder of the Butterfly Miraculous_

 

"Oh.......my.....word....." Jagged was shocked, it was an apology letter from Hawkmoth, and not only that, he acknowledged him. 

He dropped the letter in shock. 

 

"Hey Nathalie, would you like to join me for lunch? We could go out somewhere if you like" Gabriel asked as he looked at her from his office desk. 

Nathalie gave him an incredulous look. "I'm sorry, what?"

Gabriel took his glasses off and came up to her, "Let's have some lunch, my shout. What would you like?"

"Erm......"

This was a surprise, he was treating her to lunch.

"I have always known for a fact that you like salads" Gabriel said. 

_"He noticed....?"_

"Yes......I do......do you still have that disguise?"

"I do, where would you like to go?"

"There's a cafe that I prefer to go to, in my opinion, they have the best stuff"

"Well then, you can take the spare guest room to change so you can get into that disguise" 

"Of course"

 

Gabriel's mustache disguise is ridiculous as ever.

She found herself smirking at him as he ate his Mediterranean salad. 

"Hmm?" He mumbled. 

"Nothing. I noticed that the housemaid didn't need to clean Tom's room this morning, the bed was untouched"

_"Crap"_

"You noticed?"

"Are you letting Tom sleep with you again?" she sighed, exasperated. 

"Well......" 

_"This is awkward....."_ He bit his lip.

"You two are very close, while I am glad, why do you even let him past your personal space?"

Gabriel sighed, "Well, I don't want him to be lonely, and he doesn't want me to either, I enjoy his company and we give each other a sense of comfort. Also......a reminder that........someone is there and they love you" 

"Well.....your Miraculous didn't go in sync with Emilie's peacock, did yours react to Tom's?"

"Yes, it did"

"What? Really? It did?"

"It did"

"Are you serious?!" she almost shouted out of surprise. 

 Gabriel nodded. 

"Ah that.......I was shocked when you didn't match with Emilie way back but....."

"It's not a bad thing and it's not something to be scared about. I actually embrace his presence. I'm glad he's there and that I'm there for him"

Nathalie smiled, "I see. Good for you, are you happy with him?"

"I am" 

"Then.......that's all I need. As long as you're happy, then that's enough for me"

_"Erm, that was quick settlement. Does she think I'm in the progress of crushing on Tom? No.......that's just nuts"_ He had another bite of his salad. 

"So.....how are you? Are you settling down?"

"Oh yes. Better than before"

"Good, it puts my mind at rest, you don't have those secrets hanging upon your shoulders anymore. We can focus on us now"

Nathalie rose an eye at 'us' but ignored it, she understood what he meant, just not that way. 

"And yourself" He concluded. 

She nodded.

"So let me treat you for dinner someday, some place you like so you can enjoy life again"

She liked the idea, "I'd love to"

Gabriel smiled back at her. 

"Also-"

"I know about the celebration party I made for Emilie this Saturday, I have already made the invitations"

"What about-"

"I have chosen the place for it" 

"And-"

"Nathalie, let's not talk about work during lunch, take it easy okay, I got it"

She gave him a 'are you sure' look but kept eating. 

 

 

"So, we have like, a million questions" Harry started as everyone ate lunch, all eyes are on Tom. 

"Okay......" Tom was a bit nervous, "Ask away. Don't hold back on the embarrassing ones"

"So, the biggest question that get's us completely stunned is, that you use an urinal, but you don't have the male hardware"

Tom grinned proudly, "Ah yes, I can urinate standing up"

Everyone had to admit, they were impressed. 

"How?"

"With practise, but of course, I can't do that during a period, it's messy"

"That makes sense....."

"When did you transition?"

"Late nineties and early twenties, I didn't have top surgery till after I moved here"

"Moved?"

"I lived in the United States when I was born till late 2001"

"Why? How come you moved?"

"Well......nine eleven"

"What?"

"I was in the building when it happened, I lost my boyfriend in there"

Everyone's faces fell. 

"Oh man......I'm so sorry. What was his name?" Jagged asked. 

"Jake. His name was Jake, he was in the first planes range, by the wing"

"The place surely was destroyed, how did you get out?"

"Actually..........Hawkmoth saved me"

Mouths dropped. 

"What?! Really???!!" Everyone gasped. 

"Yeah, he saved Gabriel too. That's how we met, Hawkmoth got me out of the rubble and saved me. He saved Gabriel on the hundredth floor and came down to find me, but he needed help so I offered to be akumatised. I was his first one"

"Wow.......you're his first akuma"

Everyone was really surprised by the new info. 

"The cell range was damaged so he gave me the power to help increase it, people did have a lot of trouble in contacting their loved ones. So while I stayed, he took Gabriel with him to help others"

Jagged thought about the letter he received and realised something.

No one really knows Hawkmoth more than just being a villain, it was much more complicated than that.

"I escaped using a phone line. And I haven't seen him since the fire incident, but Gabriel and I have known each other because of the towers"

"Wow, fate huh?" 

"Yeah, fate" 

 

He answered all of their questions. 

 

"Hey Dad"

"Hey son, how are you feeling?" Gabriel asked as he watched Adrien walk through the front door.

"People have been hugging me all day, telling me how sorry they are. It's just depressing......Nino treated me to my favorite smoothie, Alya was shocked to say at the least and Marinette was supportive all the way long" He sighed, "It's been a long day....." 

Gabriel frowned, "I didn't expect it to be an uplifting day Adrien. Would you like something to eat?" 

Adrien shook his head, "No......I don't have much of an appetite......"

_"This was to be expected"_

"You want some rest then?"

Adrien nodded. 

"It's okay, I cleared your schedule for the week, I don't expect you to be in the best mood. If you feel like you're in hell you can take a day off school if you like"

"Thanks Dad. I'll just have a nap in the lounge....." Adrien said sadly, as you could see that he was hurting in his eyes, he went off to the lounge. 

Gabriel sighed. He had better get in contact with his Father, he will surely want to know and a family member would be great for him. 

"Gabriel" Nathalie spoke up. 

"Yes?"

"The housemaid has finished cleaning Tom's old clothes, but there are items in them so she left them on the bed"

"Thank you. I'll give Tom a call" 

He got out his phone and called Tom up. 

_"Hey pal, what's up?"_

"Tom, your old clothes have been washed and hanged, but there are some stuff that were retrieved, they're on your bed. Would you like me to put them into a suitable place for you?"

_"Items.....? No, I don't remember putting anything in. And I didn't see if there were anything inside when I packed, but if Jake put anything in his pockets then he would have. Just leave them there for the time being and I'll look at them when I get back"_

"Okay, no worries, I'll see you then"

_"Bye"_

"Bye"

Now to call his Father. 

 

After work, Tom went to the Dupain Cheng bakery where he taught Sabine and Tom how to make a nice ramen and dumplings, and they were intrigued by long chopsticks used to put ingredients in, while Mr Dupain gave it a try, his big hands made it difficult. While Marinette seemed excited, she also seemed a bit down. 

_"Maybe she is worried about Adrien"_ He thought. 

They had such a lovely dinner, and Tom made sure that she was alright and that she could enjoy herself for the night. 

 

He came home in time just before curfew.  

He found the gate pretty intimidating, but looking at the mansion now, he can half believe that he's actually staying there now. Putting in the pass on the gate lock, the gate opened and he went inside the house. 

"Tom! Welcome back!" Adrien sprung up and greeted him, "Did you bring me back some dumplings?"

Tom was surprised that someone welcomed him, it had been a long time that happened. "Didn't you just have dinner?" He asked. 

"There is always room for dumplings!" 

He personally felt flattered to have a teenage boy excited for his homemade dumplings. 

"In fact, there _is_ always room. The Dupain Chengs ate them all"

"Awwww......" Adrien looked down in disappointment. 

"But Marinette asked to pass some tarts on to you" Tom got the tarts out of his bag, "She was a bit worried about you so she made these"

As Adrien received the tarts, Adrien smiled brightly, "She's amazing, thanks for handing these onto me for her. I will gift her tomorrow. Seriously, she is so understanding, I really don't want to take her for granted"

"She's really good to you" Tom put a hand on Adrien's shoulder. 

Adrien nodded, "I'll have them in the dining room" 

"Enjoy"

Adrien took them with him as Plagg decided to hang around with Tom as Gabriel came in to welcome his best friend back. 

Approaching the dining room, he put the tarts on the dinner table, opened the boxes up and got a plate. 

He stopped, and turned to look at Emilie's globe. Before he got a second plate, placed a tart on it, and then placed it next to her. 

"Here Mum, Marinette made these, I think you'll love them"

He got the other tart and took his first bite. 

It was delicious. 

 

"Welcome home" Gabriel said. 

"Happy to be home"

Duusuu came out, "Happy to finally be able to breathe!" She spun around and joined Nooroo and Plagg. 

"Did you have dinner?" Gabriel asked Duusuu. 

"Oh, Tom passed me some dumplings so I'm satisfied!"

"Good" Gabriel smiled at the kwami before turning to Tom, "And you...." he took Tom's blazer off, "Have time now to take a breather. You must be hot from that cooking"

"Yeah I am......I got to put my bento away to be washed and....." 

"Don't worry about that, just put it in the sink and the maid will have it ready by the morning"

"Oh. Cool, so, Jake's things"

"Oh that. I haven't checked on them but we can do that now"

They went up to Tom's room, where they saw the items on the bed. 

There was a box, and a pair of plane tickets. 

"Immigration tickets to Amsterdam? The Netherlands? Why the Netherlands?" Gabriel picked up the flight tickets for December 2001.

"Jake and I found out that they legalised gay marriage there at the time. But he didn't tell me about moving......"

"He didn't? That's strange......was your apartment yours or Jake's?"

"Why?"

"Because if he was seriously planning to move and the apartment was in his name, he would have stopped paying for the rent, thus, you couldn't get in"

"That's weird? Why move? We loved it in the towers" Tom picked up the box and unwrapped it. It was a normal cardboard box. Rectangular shaped.

He opened the box and there was another. 

"Wait. He wasn't panning to surprise me on anything was he? A moving out gift?"

As Tom opened the next one, Gabriel pieced it together. This wasn't an ordinary present. 

"Funny that he'd be gifting me something from the past" Tom chuckled as he kept opening them up. 

The rectangle got smaller and smaller until there was paper. It was square shaped now. 

"Jake! What the hell buddy?" 

He unwrapped the paper with much excitement, but before Gabriel could stop him, a bit of red was revealed. Tom slowed, and took the wrapping off to reveal a red box. 

Tom's face immediately fell.

Gabriel watched in with such sadness for his friend as Tom opened the box up and saw the ring that Jake was supposedly going to propose him with. It was designed like a knot, like tying the knot in a marriage. 

"It....." Tom took a breath, "It's beautiful...........oh Jake....." He sniffed, before he took the courage to take the ring out of the box. "Hey Gabriel, could you please put it on?"

Gabriel felt like his heart dropped to the floor. "Of course" He got the ring and put it on Tom's finger, where it could have been a long time ago. 

"Perfect fit. Thank you......" Tom took a look at it with tears in his eyes, "He really wanted to marry me......" He sniffed harshly. 

Gabriel shook his head in disbelief, "I.........I'm so sorry......." 

"I guess.......there is more than just memories left behind..........." 

Tom sighed admittedly, "Here" He took the ring off, and gave it to Gabriel, "You can have it. You and I know that I'm not getting married"

Gabriel gasped, "Tom, I can't......."

Tom looked straight into Gabriel's eyes with such seriousness and sadness, and repeated himself, "I'm not getting married. He's gone. There's nothing I can do with it"

Tom put the tickets away in a box that seemed to have stored memories of Jake, put it away, put the cardboard and paper in the trash before taking a shower, leaving Gabriel by himself with the kwami lost for words. 

Duusuu started crying. 

"P-p-p-p-p-poor Tommy!" Duusuu cried. 

Nooroo sighed. 

And Gabriel's heart broke. 

He looked down at the ring and wondered what to do with it. 

 

 

Tom rejoined Gabriel in Gabriel's room, Gabriel was already in bed, "Did you have a good day?" Gabriel asked. 

"Actually, everyone was really good with my identity, apparently they sensed that I was different for a long time and they really wanted to get to know me"

"Oh? That's great! I'm happy for you"

"And Jagged told everyone that Hawkmoth sent him an apology letter, Gabriel, what did you do?"

Nooroo smiled from his spot. 

"Well, I thought that it would be a good starting point. If I tried to approach anyone, they wouldn't have the best reaction so I had them delivered secretly, if they wanted to talk to me, they could try and reach out. I'd listen to what they want to say"

Tom smiled at him, "Good for you, Jagged was really happy, he appreciated your letter and told everyone that there are more to you than people think and he would really like to talk to you someday" 

"Oh? I'm glad to hear that. Maybe I could make a visit"

"I'll come with you. Also, Alya will want that interview soon"

"Oh yes. Of course. Marinette contacted me today to tell me about the patrol tomorrow night. We will be joining them every Tuesday and Friday"

"I will keep that in mind" 

"Did Sabine and Tom enjoy your cooking?"

"They loved it!"

"That's nice to hear"

"Adrien wanted some dumplings"

Gabriel sighed, "Of course he did"

Tom climbed into bed as the three kwami bid each other goodnight to Plagg, before the black cat zipped back to his owner. 

"Good night you guys" Tom said. 

"Night" Nooroo yawned. 

"Night....." Duusuu replied, still a bit somber from earlier.

"What's wrong Duusuu?" Tom asked. 

Duusuu sighed, "The ring was for you, I think you should keep it"

"Oh Duusuu, the ring is beautiful, but I'd rather focus on what I have now" Tom turned to Gabriel, "My best friend, and soulmate who I love"

As Tom smiled at Gabriel, Gabriel's eyes shined with such awe that his heart fluttered. "I love you too"

They snuggled in together happily, Gabriel was glad that his friend was getting stronger. 

Duusuu smiled, "That's wonderful. I hope you guys find happiness again"

"Well, I have a snuggle bug right here"

Tom let out a giggle, "I can't deny that"

 

 

Gabriel found himself in that white place again, he wanted to go there anyway, for any attempt to talk to Jake. He wanted to speak to him about the ring, it didn't matter what Tom said, it was important. 

_"Jake! Jake are you here?" He called out._

_He looked around for him._

_"Here" Jake called back. He came and noticed Gabriel, "Oh, it's you. It's nice to see you again"_

_Gabriel let him come up so they could talk properly._

_"What brings you back?" Jake asked._

_Gabriel sighed heavily as his heart weighed on the event._

_"Tom and I found your ring" He said._

_Jake's eyes went wide. "You.........found my ring?" tears rose to his eyes fast, "What....." he sniffed, "Oh no......." He shook his head._

_"I......I can't comprehend the fact that you two never could get married........"_

_"What happened? He must have been broken, my sweet Tom........."_

_"He tried it on. And then gave it to me, he loves the ring but he knows that marriage will never happen"_

_Jake sucked in a sharp breath, "Oh no no no no no........Gabriel, you gotta tell him, I want him to have it, please. Even if its not marriage. I don't know how long you guys have been together, but Tom is very good at keeping things to himself. He can seem to shrug something off but he will be suffering inside. Please do not leave him alone" he informed._

_Gabriel suddenly felt alarmed and scared for him. "So.......what shall I do? What can I do for him?"_

_He pressed his lips together at the thought of Tom suffering, the past has chased him a lot and it's not fair, it hasn't been smooth in his life either. It saddened him that Tom suffered so much longer than him, he wondered how he would be able to help soothe the pain._

_He was able to meet Emilie again and was able to say goodbye to her. But Tom never got an ending, and it will haunt him forever._

_His heart hurt for him._

_Gabriel sucked in a breath, "Okay, I will give him the ring, I can't change what he will say after. But, I will take care of him as I do love him. What happened to you two is.......so cruel and far more than heartbreaking to take in, I'll do what I can"_

_"Thank you Gabriel. You're a good man. Go back, and look after him"_

 

Gabriel woke up beside his friend, and noticed the tears in Tom's eyelashes. He got up, and closed the curtains around the bed's structure, before he went and grabbed the engagement ring from his drawer, and put it on Tom's right hand finger. Right where it can be. 

Kissing his hand, he looked down at Tom sleeping. 

He never closes the curtains unless if he has a lover in his bed beside him, but they felt like a safeguard for this moment. 

Tom's fingers found their grasp on Gabriel's hand. 

He was frightened for him. And heartbroken, he wished that he could make it better. Make the pain go away. 

"If there is any happiness somewhere, please. Let me be your happiness" he whispered to him. "Don't let your past haunt you, I want your future to be a light that will guide you to a much happier place"

Tom's eyelids moved and then he awoke, "Gabriel?"

"Tom?"

There was silence for a while but Gabriel waited as he knew that Tom was figuring something out. 

Tom sighed in the dark, "I.........I must apologise for something. I'm not okay about the ring thing. In fact, I hate that one thing after another keeps coming to remind me of what I lost" 

"It's not fair" Gabriel replied. "I wish it could just leave you alone"

"Actually..........it will never stop leaving me alone. It'll always be there and I just have to deal with it"

"You shouldn't have to"

"Yeah. But fate has other cruel plans for me. It's a good thing that it will never take you"

Gabriel smiled a little, "Tom. You shouldn't need to hold back in front of me"

"I'm sorry but um, I just.......I don't want you hanging around just because you pity me"

"Tom I know you haven't mastered emotions but, I'm here because I love you"

Tom looked up at him. 

"Heck. I don't just let anyone into my bed, half naked for that matter"

Tom chuckled with a laugh, before he hugged him, "I'm so happy that I have you. And I'm so glad I have someone who cares-" He notices the ring, "Eh? Gabriel......"

"Jake wanted you to have it still, and I want you to have it as well. I don't expect you to keep it on your finger, just.....don't throw it away. It means a lot to him"

Tom stared at the ring for a moment, and sighed, "Well, if you want me to wear it, I will. Since it's a request from you"

His heart fluttered, "Uh, well, you don't have to....."

"I'll wear it anyway, there's no harm in it" Tom smiled. 

 

Gabriel felt like there was a lot of emotions to sort out. 

 

 

 

 

 


	29. Day 35

 

Adrien liked Tom, he was a warm and bubbly presence in the house. He reminded him of his Mother. 

"Good morning Adrien" Tom greeted when Adrien got to the dining room where breakfast sat. 

"Tom" Adrien greeted as Plagg went straight for his first serving of cheese. 

Waffles were on the table and Adrien, following his stomach, went straight for his plate. 

"Good morning Father" Adrien greeted his Dad. 

"Good morning indeed" Gabriel smiled at Adrien. 

Adrien looked up at his Dad who was smiling, but he seemed to be smiling for a new reason. 

"Dad?"

He seemed to be quite bright today. He couldn't tell what his Dad is feeling. 

"Yes? Please don't try and read my emotions" Gabriel said. 

"Okay then......." Adrien went ahead and reached out for a waffle to put on his plate. 

As Tom reached out for the syrup, Gabriel grabbed it as well without noticing. 

"Ah" Gabriel noticed. 

"Oh"

"Sorry, you have it" Gabriel pushed it towards him.

"You got it first"

"You're the one that travels to work, use it" 

"Errrrm, okay?" Tom received the syrup and looked at Gabriel for a moment, he was surprised, he seemed a bit like he was being nice because of some kind of other emotional force, his face said it all. 

"Thanks" He said and used the syrup. 

"I'm glad you joined us for breakfast today" Adrien started. 

"It's always nice to join you guys" Tom replied. 

"Yeah!" Duusuu agreed. 

Plagg munched on cheese. 

"So Dad, you're going back to your department? It's been a while" Adrien asked. 

"Oh yes. I am, and Tom will be joining me. Would you like to have a tryout on a photo shoot today?" Gabriel asked Tom. 

"Please? I'd love to take a look around"

"I'll get you picked up at your workplace" 

"Thanks"

"Also, on Saturday night there will be a party celebration for Emilie" Gabriel told Adrien, "We will be celebrating her life at the grand Paris"

"Oh? That's lovely, Dad, will I have to pick a date?"

"You can bring Marinette, you will have to ask her out early so she can make a dress"

"I will, but, what about you Dad?"

Tom looked at Gabriel with a face that said  _"Really?"._

"Well, I don't think it'll be proper to have a date. But a partner" 

_"That will be quite suitable and respectful"_ Tom thought. 

"I was thinking if you would like to join me Tom?" Gabriel asked. 

"Eh?" Tom was surprised,  _"Wait, hold your heart Tom, he isn't asking you out. It's just a party!"_

"Sure, I'll be your partner" 

"Wonderful, I'll make something for you for the night"

"You don't have to make me anything......"

"Oh please, I made all of your clothes"

_"He has a point there"_

"Alright, as your partner, I have to look the part don't I?"

"So do I Dad, I will ask Marinette what she will make so we can have matching colors!" Adrien said. "I think Mum will be very happy to have us all together to celebrate her"

"Will we have matching colors?" Tom whispered into Gabriel's ear.

"No. I have other plans for us" Gabriel whispered back. 

"Wonderful" Gabriel turned back to Adrien, "When I get back home from work, I can plan something. At the meet up for patrol, I can talk to her, maybe see if we can team up together to make them" 

"That'll be wonderful" Adrien smiled. "Good luck with your first shift in modelling Tom"

"I look forward to it"

"I haven't been to the modelling studio in a while now, everyone will be surprised to see me"

 

They were. 

Once he stepped in, all eyes went on him. And he got a hunch that everyone thought that he expected everyone to be into work, and only work like the old Gabriel did. He could tell, everyone became tense from excited. 

He didn't like this, he used to be cold, strict and stern, but now he is more flexible than before. They don't realise that yet. 

"Nathalie, tend to the make up section and see if they are prepped and ready for Tom will you please?" He asked gently. Nathalie nodded and walked off. 

"Morning everyone" He turned to all of his employers. 

"Good morning Mr Agreste" Everyone said plainly, as if they were ordered to. 

Gabriel frowned, this was a bit......flat. 

"Come on, let your souls out, we're not here to be on a flat line with each other, we're here to enjoy what we love doing, so repeat that again with the enthusiasm I heard before I came in"

Everyone looked at each other in surprise, curiosity and hesitation. 

"Come on, don't be shy" He encouraged. 

With a bit of courage from them, they gave a more cheery "Good morning Mr Agreste". 

"Louder! I can't hear you all!" He encouraged them further. 

"Good morning Mr Agreste!!!!" 

"That's better" He smiled with that first step, "Now, it is lovely to be back with you all, and while I would love to hear of the drama that may have happened in this workplace...." He glanced at someone who made a face that could tell many words, "Don't deny it, I'm old enough to know" 

There were a few giggles. 

"I admit I'm rather behind, while I do know some names, I have yet to meet all of you. Aside from the people I left behind here, I apologise, it has been a year. But we will also be having someone join us today, -which I will be introducing you to later in the afternoon so hold your phones" He received a report from someone, "Thank you-" he took a look at it, "I haven't yet thanked all of you for your hard work, I do notice your enthusiasm and passion that you put into your work and that's what makes this company alive, it isn't about me, it's about all of you and being able to thrive together as a team"

"So, for today, we have our introduction to our LGBTIQ line, I will be looking at your ideas and hustle up for a meeting right here before we can get to work" He gave the report back. 

"Now" He walked over to a whiteboard and grabbed a marker. "Everyone, grab a seat, come on" 

Everyone started grabbing chairs and sat down in front of Gabriel.

"Good. Everyone comfortable?" 

There were nods from people. 

"Good. Now. L, Lesbian, G, Gay, B, Bisexual, T, transgender, I, Intersex, Q, Queer" He wrote those down as he went along. 

"Sexualities have their own normal body shapes that they are born with but Transgender people are a different case, Men that have been women may get secondary characteristics but they're stuck with what they're born with, in most cases, curves in the hips, the type of top surgery they have determining their chest size, all vary, even some don't even have bottom surgery. Is anyone among that T section?"

Someone stood up. "Sir"

"Hello, what's your name?"

"Ryan sir, make up department"

Now he looked like a fully fledged male. 

"Everyone, study him closely, draw him down, he doesn't have a noticeable curve but the measurements would certainly be smaller than the common male width. But a transgender woman would have wider hips like a man, opposites in fact but most people are conscious about their birth characteristics and don't favor them to stand out, so our challenge for today is to work out something that will hang nicely without it being loose and will give a male or female impression. Team one" He demonstrated the left side of the group, "Work on that, and group two, we have a different project, so team one, get together and I'll see you after for your ideas. Team two," He looked at the right half as the left half left to gather. 

"Underwear"

They gave him odd looks. 

 

 

"Marinette" Adrien greeted his girlfriend, "Hi, erm, thank you, so much for your handmade tarts, I loved them" 

Marinette smiled, glad that they made him happy, "I'm glad they did. Did you share them or...?"

"I gave one to Mum" Adrien smiled contently. 

"Oh, did she like it?" 

"She did, they were delicious" 

He could see that she wanted to be there for him, and he was grateful for that. 

"Thank you for being so supportive Marinette, I'll never forget it" 

She gave him a hug and he wrapped his arms around her, giving a kiss on the forehead. 

"Thank you" He said again. 

 

 

Marinette went into the bathroom later that day, smiling about Adrien being able to enjoy himself during class. 

"So true!" She heard Lila's voice. 

_"What on earth is she saying? Is she talking to someone?"_ Marinette thought. 

"I could care less about Mrs Agreste, I can just have my Daddy get another one for me" Chloe said. 

The two girls laughed. 

_"Oh those rotten girls......"_ Marinette huffed.  _"Have they teamed up together?"_

Then the door opened. 

"Oh, it's Dupain Cheng" Chloe noticed. 

_"Here we go again"_ She thought. 

"I can't see why Adrien would be even bothered to date such a cheap skate" Lila said slyly. 

"Adrien never said I was"

"Of course he doesn't, he's so ashamed that he made such an awful decision" 

"You know what, you two don't have any proof at all. You are all bark and no bite, you may act as you're so good but you have nothing to show for it"

Lila frowned and growled at her. 

"Chloe, shame on you. No one can replace a Mother, especially Emilie, show some humility for gods sake, even if you can't, try it out, if anyone can, you can too! You have no idea how each person is so special, especially yourself, things wouldn't be the same without you either"

"Lila-"

"Shut it Marinette, you may think you're so nice but you're not worth it, you see, I will win Adrien's affections someday and he will drop you like the worthless annoying bug you are and people will realise what a horrible mistake they made- In making friends with you"

"Besides, who cares less about Emilie, like she has a meaning in anything"

"What about my Mother?" 

The two girls froze and turned around to see Adrien crossing his arms angrily at them. 

"Ah, Adrien! What are you doing in the girls bathroom?" Lila put up her sweet smile. 

"For a very good reason I expect, Marinette told me how much you lie Lila, and I know that you do but I didn't think it would be so bad as you would go that far to talk about my  _Mother._ _And_ think that you could talk to Marinette that way"

"Ah" Lila caught herself. 

"We we're kidding Adrien" Chloe waved it off. 

That ticked Adrien off, "Does this face say I'm kidding?" 

They both frowned. 

"I recorded your whole  _talk,_ if you ever dare to treat my precious girlfriend again, I will play it to the whole school. But even if I don't play it, people will figure you out anyway, I can smell evil from a mile away. Even so, you _better_ realise that time is better used when you are good to people, it's a waste of time to spend your lives like that" 

Lila snarled. 

And then Adrien's eyes flashed purple for a moment. 

Marinette realised then that he had an advantage. 

"Are you going to be nice or get out of the bathroom Adrien?" Chloe asked. 

"Because I came here to address the fact that you two can't be nice, I should be the one leading you out" 

"Ugh! Whatever, I don't care if you recorded us, I'm out" Chloe scoffed and walked out. 

"You're not worth my time anyway" Lila flipped her hair and glared at Marinette before walking out. 

Once the door shut, Marinette let out a sigh of relief, "Thanks Adrien!" 

"No worries, no one talks about you or my Mother like that. Not on my watch" 

"Did you really record them?"

"The whoooole thing" he winked. 

"But you'll have to watch the purple eyes, people are going to notice" 

"Ah. Thanks for telling me"

She giggled, "You'll have to get out of the girls bathroom before people get suspicious"

"Oh!" He realised, "I guess that having Tom around has gotten me a bit loose on the gender subject"

"Gender subject?" Marinette made a confused face. "Tom?"

"Oh, well" He scratched his cheek, "Erm, this isn't for me to say but Tom is actually a girl" he explained. 

It took a while for it to sink in. 

"EHHHHH?!" 

 

 

Tom came to the workplace after he got picked up by Gorilla, he felt like he was going to go into this wild adventure that could include stripping his clothes off and showing his modesty to everyone. But he's been through worse. 

"Alright" He took in a breath and went ahead, he knocked on the entrance door and it went open. 

"Ah! Hello! Are you the newcomer?" A lady answered happily. 

"Yes. Hello, I'm here as a modeler, could I see Gabriel?" He asked. 

"Sure! Come in!" She let him inside and all of a sudden this chatter filled his ears, excited employee's ran about gathering things, others demonstrating plans and patterns while teams talked to each other while drawing in their sketchbooks. 

"Oh. Wow" 

"Tom! Glad you came!" Gabriel came over and greeted and Tom brightened at the sight of his friend. "Drop your case over in the corner there and I'll introduce you to everyone"

Tom dropped his case in the corner in which Nathalie grabbed so it can be placed somewhere safe, and Gabriel got him over to a very big whiteboard that Gabriel seemed to had been scribbling on. 

"Everyone! Everyone!" He called and everyone went silent, turned around and looked at their boss. 

"This is our new model, Tom, he's transgender male and will be joining us today" Gabriel introduced. 

All eyes went on Tom and most realised who he was because of the magazine, but Tom waved and smiled. 

"Hello, I'm Tom, Gabriel's closest friend, it's nice to meet you all" he greeted. 

"Hello Tom!" They greeted and some girls came over.

"My, you're so handsome!" 

"Oh, thank you....." Tom blushed. 

"So you're Tom, it's nice to meet you!"

Gabriel watched as Tom got greeted by everyone, until Ryan approached him. 

"Hello" Ryan reached out and gave Tom a handshake. 

"Oh, hi, you're American?"

"Born and raised here, but my parents are American"

"How nice, I grew up in America. What's your name?"

"I'm Ryan, and I'm just like you"

"You mean......you're transgender as well?" 

"The full package, you?"

"Top package and the testosterone. Are you.......the make up guy I was told about? You're handsome enough for me to try and guess....." 

Ryan barked a laugh, "Yup. I'm the guy. I hope we get along"

"Oh gosh, you're the first person who is like me, I'm so happy" 

Ryan smiled gratefully. 

"Hey, I'm Francis, I'm one of the gay guys here along Ryan, we're like the two musketeers" Francis greeted. 

"Hello" Tom greeted. 

Tom then met some lesbians and others among different sexualities, but they were just normal people that were a part of Gabriel's company. 

"Now that you have met everyone" Gabriel said, "Ryan, mind showing him around the place?" 

"Gladly, come on Tom"

"Right behind you" 

Tom followed Ryan through the crowd. The man was a little taller like the average male, and well groomed, he looked like a very handsome American man, he could admit, he could blush just by looking at him. 

"The perks of this place is that we do have mixed toilets" Ryan started. 

"Awesome!"

"Right?"

Gabriel smiled to himself as he watched Tom happily follow Ryan. 

"I didn't know you had a close friend Mr Agreste! He's from the magazine isn't he?"

"He is"

"I never thought I'd see the day when you would have someone hanging on your shoulders...."

People chuckled which made him blush slightly. "Please don't tease me"

 

Later, Tom was standing in the middle of everyone sketching his naked top half, it was weird at most, but Gabriel was also measuring him. 

"Erm, Tom, I'm sorry about this" Gabriel said. 

"About what?" Tom asked. 

And before he knew it, Gabriel put his measuring tape under his lower half and pulled it up, making him grunt embarrassingly. He was measuring his _crotch_. 

Some people chuckled at that sound. 

Gabriel hummed as he took a look, and then removed it, as he looked at the measurement, his eyes rose and looked back at Tom. "How interesting"

Tom paled, "What is it?"

People looked at their boss and their eyes were searching for what Gabriel had discovered. 

Gabriel took a few steps back and looked at him, as Tom sheepishly groaned in embarrassment. 

Gabriel looked down, then up, then he turned to a female co worker, looking at her and then back to Tom. 

"I see" 

"What is it sir?" Someone asked. 

Gabriel looked away sheepishly and in slight embarrassment, "Some *cough* people, have *cough* larger um, *cough* vaginas *cough* due to testosterone intake" He said awkwardly. 

Tom's face went bright red as he remembered the shower incident. "GABRIEL!!!" 

People laughed heartily at the scene and Gabriel just sighed. 

"I remember being that way" Ryan said, chuckling. 

 "Don't worry about yourself Tom, some of us have been around worse in our fittings, including a certain someone....." They glanced at their boss. 

"Hey, don't include me!" Gabriel barked. 

Everyone chuckled. 

Tom felt a little better as everyone joked about the drama that they had and felt Duusuu giggle in his pocket. 

"Besides, you look sexy" Ryan commented. 

"Ah......thank you.....I think" Tom shyly answered. 

"It's so rare for you to have a friend sir" Someone said. 

"Yeah, we go way back, don't we?" Gabriel said. 

"Yeah. We do" Tom smiled at him, and Gabriel smiled back. 

 

Tom felt content with Ryan, he felt like he made a friend and was glad that he was his make up artist. Once the session ended, they went onto the gentlemen's line. Gathering suits of differnt kinds and the next thing Tom noticed is that people were changing measurements for Tom and Gabriel beside him was getting dressed by fitters. 

"Did you do your hair?" Ryan asked, "It's been looked after well"

Tom looked at Gabriel who whispered, "Just say you did it" 

"I did it myself. But Gabriel did give me advice on how to look after it better"

"I see. Good on you sir, we don't have to do anything. Just apply makeup" 

"I think he looks good without any, he only needs foundation" Gabriel said. 

Tom blushed. 

"I was going to ask about your input on it, but I agree with you sir. Okay, I'll get someone to do his hair and I'll just do a foundation" 

Francis came in soon after and stated doing his hair while he was being fitted. Having several hands on him was weird. 

"Tom, do you like me with glasses on or off?"

Tom hummed, "Well, I like small glasses on you cause it makes you look more soft, gentle and smart, big glasses just make you seem crabby. But without them reveal your eyes much more, makes you look younger"

Some people smiled, some thought he seemed quite smooth in speaking his opinion and it's a little crazy because most people are hesitant to do so. 

"Thanks for the advice, any add on's?"

"Your hair looks good on it's own without the glasses, but it would be nice if you grew your hair out a bit"

Gabriel hummed in thought, "Okay, I'll let it grow out and see" 

Then once they got completely fitted, Ryan came back and started on Tom while Gabriel's make up artist came in to do his. In no time, Gabriel's glasses were replaced with smaller ones. 

"Do they look good on me?" He asked. 

"Perfect" 

"Good. We will have to change suits a couple of times, so we can talk as much as we want, just follow my lead and you'll be okay"

"Alright" Tom prepared himself to do a good job and join Gabriel on a stage in which he posed with him. As photographers snapped shots, lighting was everywhere and it was a little bright, but he quite enjoyed it since he was doing it with his best friend. 

"You look very dashing in blue" Gabriel said during a fitting. 

"Thanks, I think lighter blue suits you nicely too. Whites, blacks, grays, they may seem like dark colors but they fit you very well.You have a handsome figure" 

Some girls giggled to themselves. 

"Eherm, you think _I'm_ handsome?" 

"Correction, you _are_ handsome" 

Tom didn't think that anyone ever saw Gabriel blush. 

 

 

"Ah! Fresh air at last, time to go home!" Tom said sighing happily as they walked out. 

"Too much of one thing can be a bit of a hassle"

"But that was great! I loved it, thank you for letting me be a part of that"

"It's like, 5pm, time to go home, I have to be home in thirty minutes for therapy" Gabriel recalled. 

"Oh? Then you're in for a roller coaster, what would you like tonight? I'll cook you and Adrien up something"

"True, maybe a bento? Adrien loves those, and having a mix of his favorite things will be nice. The first session is always hard" 

"Then I'll make a bento for you guys and look after the kwami" Tom patted him on the back.

Nathalie hummed behind them. 

"And you'll get to join me Nathalie, we can have some coffee" 

"Sure. I'd like some" 

 

Tom watched as Gabriel lead Adrien with him along, with their new therapist in tow, off to the lounge for the first session. 

Adrien looked nervous and looked back at Tom as he was lead away, and Tom, following his instincts, smiled and waved. 

"I'll make you some dumplings after for dinner lad" he said. 

That brightened Adrien's spirits a little and he nodded, before going along. 

Once the door shut, Nathalie sighed heavily. 

"This will be good for them" Nooroo said. 

"Yeah. This would have ended much worse" Tom added. 

"Did I do the right thing?" Nathalie asked. 

"I think you did the best possible thing anyone could ever do"

"Yeah" Duusuu nodded. 

As Nathalie relaxed, Tom treated her with some coffee. 

 

He came back before they finished, and as he expected, Adrien's eyes were red from crying and Gabriel didn't seem as good either. 

Poor Adrien was sniffling as tears were going down his cheeks. 

"Hey......" Tom greeted softly. 

Adrien turned to Nathalie and looked at her. 

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry Nathalie, for bursting out at you without hearing you out. You have been part of our family for such a long time, and I will never forget that again"

Nathalie didn't say anything, she leaned down and gave him a hug as an act of thanks. 

"Have you lost your appetite?" Tom asked. 

Adrien nodded as he let go of Nathalie. 

"Tell you what, you can have a bit of chicken and salad, and then I'll put the rest of your dinner in your lunch tomorrow, is that okay?"

Adrien hummed a yes. 

"You've got to eat after all"

He smiled a little bit at that. 

 

Dinner was silent, and Gabriel knew that he had to contact Marinette to call the patrol off for the night. Because he and Adrien were not in high spirits. 

After talking to him about it, he contacted Marinette, with great understanding, she called the patrol off. 

He watched as Adrien slowly ate his dumpling. 

The night was sad and depressing. 

 

"Thanks Tom. I think I'll turn in for the night, can I sleep in the lounge room?" 

"On that pile of blankets? Would you like a doona?" Gabriel asked. 

"Yes please"

"I'll help you along" 

Tom watched them go along and packed up, before they heard the intercom go off. 

Nathalie pressed the answer button nearby and Marinette's voice came up. 

"Hello? Nathalie?"

"Marinette, what brings you at this hour?"

"Can I come in? Adrien can't come up for patrol and I'd like to stay overnight to support him"

Nathalie and Tom looked at each other before answering, "Come in"

Nooroo, Plagg and Duusuu were happy to see Tikki again as they came out, but Marinette came in with a sleeping bag and toiletries all in her pajamas. 

"Marinette" Tom greeted her at the door, "Come in, it's cold out"

She looked worried for Adrien, her eyes said so very greatly. 

"Do your parents know you're here?"

"They do. Where is Adrien?" 

"In the lounge" 

"Thank you" She went ahead and walked to the lounge. 

As she got there, she caught Adrien and Gabriel making a bed for him. 

"Adrien" She said. 

"Marinette" Adrien gasped, "What are you doing here?"

She went up and gave him a hug, "I came to give you comfort, knowing that the love of my life isn't in good spirits I won't be able to sleep unless if I come over and be with you, knowing that you'll be okay"

Adrien sniffed, "Oh Marinette..........thank you, you're the best medicine in the world" 

 

Later, Tom approached his friend sitting on the bed, looking down sadly with tears in his eyes. 

He knew at that moment, that he was thinking of Emilie. 

He frowned, "Pal?"

Gabriel sniffed, "Yes?" he rose his head to listen. 

He wanted to ask whether if he's okay, but now wasn't the best time for that. 

Instead, he sat next to him. 

"Erm.......Gabriel, I'd like you to have something"

Gabriel watched curiously as Tom took a handkerchief from his pocket and showed it to him. 

"This used to be Jake's. I gifted it to him, you see er......he gave it to me to blow my nose and I kept it before the plane striked. It was the last thing he gave back"

"Why are you giving it to me?" Gabriel was bewildered as to why Tom was giving something precious away. 

"Because........you mean a lot to me. And......when you're sad, I want it to go away, but......even for a little bit, this can wipe your tears. Please accept it"

There were a slight blush in Tom's cheeks as he looked up to him, Gabriel looked at the handkerchief, put his hand over it and slowly took it out of his hands. 

"Thank you, I already treasure it, I promise that I will look after it" 

Tom smiled as he watched Gabriel dabbed his tears with it, "It's going to get better" 

"How do you know?"

"Cause I found you, and you make my world much better"

Gabriel's spirits went up a little and smiled, "Mine too"

They smiled at each other as their kwami warmly watched along in their little nest area. 

 

 

Gabriel woke up to Tom coughing the next morning. 

 


	30. Day 36

"Tom, are you alright?" Gabriel was seriously concerned about Tom before the asian man gasped in a breath and Gabriel put the handkerchief that Tom gave him over his nose. 

"Aaaaah, aaahhhhaaaa!! A-CHOO!" Tom sneezed and Gabriel wiped his runny nose. 

"I think that solves that" Gabriel groaned as he could see the amount of snot in the handkerchief, it was yellow and not good. Honestly, he was glad that he had something in hand to help him with. 

Tom gave a couple of coughs. 

"How on earth does a single person get a cough  _and_ a cold at the same time?" Gabriel questioned. 

"It's just me, when I get a cough, a cold follows" Tom explained groggily. 

"I'm getting a doctor, I'm concerned" Gabriel propped him up with a couple of pillows, and put a hand on his forehead, "You have a fever. I don't like this at all"

"Me either" Duusuu frowned at the sight of him. 

Tom groaned weakly. 

 

"Well, he's got a bad cold and cough" The doctor diagnosed as he wrote down a description, "Here" he gave it to Gabriel, "If it gets worse, notify me immediately, in worse cases, it could be the flu"

"Thank you doctor. I will get him these immediately"

"No worries Mr Agreste, and good luck Tom"

"Thank you......." Tom waved. 

As the doctor left, Gabriel looked at Tom and frowned, "I'm going to have Nathalie get the meds for you, what would you like for breakfast?"

"Rice porridge please......and contact Jagged......"

"I will"

_"Rice porridge? Just when I thought that you couldn't eat too much rice....."_

"Is there a recipe for that?"

"I gave one to the chef, just ask him for help"

_"Simple enough"_

"Alright, hang in there. I will get your meal, Adrien still has to eat before he leaves for school, until then I'll make sure that the chef knows"

"Thank you man, you're the best"

Gabriel got up and went out the door. 

"Nathalie!" he called out for her and she came up, "Yes Gabriel?"

"Could you get these for me? Tom is sick with the cold and cough" He gave her the medical prescription. 

"Make sure that you keep a good distance away, I don't want you catching it"

"You know I'm stronger than you think Nathalie. Contact Jagged as well, take care of that for me?"

"Will do"

"Thank you" 

Gabriel went down the hallway. 

Sir! Put on a shirt!" Nathalie yelled. 

Gabriel looked down at himself and realised that he was wearing pants but no shirt, "Damn" he made a move back to his room and she smirked at him. 

When he came back, he found Adrien and Marinette snuggling together as their kwami tried to wake them up. 

"Marinette.......Marinette!" Tikki tapped her cheek. 

"Just put some cheese near her nose, that always does the trick" Plagg said. 

"Seriously?"

"Here, look" Plagg put his best cheese next to Adrien's nose and the boy sniffed and woke up, "Uuuuugh! Plaaaagg!!!"

Then Marinette woke up at Adrien's sudden movements, "Errr?"

"See? Works like a charm"

Tikki glanced at Plagg. 

"I told you to stop that already!" Adrien complained, shooing the cheese away. 

"Thanks for doing my job. Adrien, Marinette, it's time to wake up and have breakfast. Or the pancakes will be cold!" Gabriel shouted, lying. 

"What?! Ohhhh boy!! Come on Marinette, we don't want to be late!" Adrien got excited and Marinette gasped and followed suit, they ran ahead with their two excited kwamis. 

Gabriel chuckled to himself, now that was kind of evil, but it got them up and awake. 

He followed after since it was in the same direction as the kitchen, and soon as he caught up with them, two teens and kwamis looked at him looking crabby as they noticed that there was indeed, no pancakes. 

"You lied" Marinette grumbled. 

Gabriel laughed, "You'll have to wait for the chef to make your breakfast. Tom's in sick so he can't cook, so be patient" He patted Adrien on the head grinning, "Oh that was so funny, if there was a form of revenge, this is it" 

"Wait. Tom is sick?" Adrien's mood changed. 

"Cough and a cold, Nathalie is getting is medication and I've got to make him some rice porridge for breakfast. He's miserable" 

"Ohhhh........I hope he's okay" Marinette said. 

Tkki's eyes filled with concern. 

"He has Nooroo and Duusuu as company, don't worry, I will look after him too" 

They both nodded. 

"Alright, you two get changed while breakfast gets ready" He said, and went ahead to the kitchen. 

Once he got into the kitchen, he spotted their private chef making breakfast, "Hello, could you make some rice porridge referred from the recipe that Tom gave you?" He asked. 

"Sure, he brought in all sorts of new ingredients in here, I'll get it up to him" The man said. 

"Up to my bedroom, and send my breakfast along with his. Thank you very much"

He came back out, and then found Adrien in his room. He knocked on it. 

"Yeah?" Adrien called out. 

"Have your breakfast and take Marinette to school with you, I need to look after Tom"

"Sure Dad, make sure he's okay!" Adrien called back. 

"I will" He then made a move back to his room where Tom was heard coughing. 

"Oh you poor thing" Gabriel frowned as Duusuu put a wet towel on Tom's forehead. 

"Here, is this okay?" Duusuu asked. 

"Yeah......it's refreshing, thank you" 

"Have some rest" Nooroo advised. 

"Thanks guys......" Tom smiled gratefully. 

Gabriel came up. 

"Are you comfortable?" He asked. 

"As comfortable as I can be" 

"Good. Nathalie is getting your medication, and your breakfast will be up soon"

"Thank you.........you must have work to do, I best not keep you back"

"You are doing nothing to keep me back, you are sick, I am very concerned and I'll see to it that you get better" 

Tom looked up at Gabriel's worried face, he leaned in as the man stroked his cheek that tickled at his heart and smiled. "I'll get better, I always do"

Gabriel brightened, "Yeah, you will" 

The next thing that Tom, Nooroo and Duusuu realised is that Gabriel moved his work over to the desk in the other half of the room. 

"Why are you transferring.....?" Nooroo asked. 

"So I can watch over Tom. I'm not letting him out of my sight" Gabriel replied, gathering papers. 

Then someone knocked on the door, and a maid came in with their breakfast. 

"Monsieur Agreste, your breakfast" she said. 

"Thank you, place it on the bedside" Gabriel said. 

She placed it on the bedside as he said and left. 

Tom sniffed, "I can't smell it but it looks good"

Gabriel picked up the rice porridge bowl and transferred it around to Tom's side, "Here"

Tom opened his mouth, "Aaaaah" 

Gabriel sighed, "Really? You want me to feed you?"

"I'm saving energy to battle a bug Gabriel, I'd rather use it for that"

"I think you're saying an excuse but then again, this bowl is kind of hot and I don't think it's wise for you to hold it, you have a fever" He used the spoon to scoop up some rice, he blew it a bit to cool it down, and fed it to Tom. 

And repeat. 

"This is kind of cute" He admitted. 

"And this is really nice, your chef did a really good job"

"I will give him your review" Gabriel chuckled. 

"Eat up Tommy" Duusuu said, "We will go and get our own fill in the dining room"

"Alright, I'll see you after"

The two kwami nodded, before they flew off. 

"Eat up Gabriel, before your food gets cold" Tom said. 

"Alright, I'll have a bit, before you can continue with your own breakfast" 

 

 Nathalie came back with the medicine for Tom and he started taking his first few after his breakfast. 

Then the intercom beeped suddenly, and so he went over to it to see who is at the door. 

His eyes went wide when he saw an image of a grown man looking just like Tom, but he seemed to be a businessman with the suit he had on. He appeared much firmer and had thicker hair, it seemed to be more brown than black. 

"Hello, state your name and business please" He said. 

**"Ah. Hello, I don't know if you speak English but, I'm looking for my Sister Sakura Yurazaki, I'm her brother Tokyujumaru"**

Gabriel was taken aback by surprise,  _"Tom has a brother? I wasn't aware....."_

He turned to Tom who had fallen asleep. 

_"Well, I better not wake him up now...._

 He turned back to the intercom,  **"Come inside"**

Making sure that he was properly dressed, he went over to the front door to meet him. 

The man came in with wide eyes as he scanned the house and looked at the detail of the floor before looking up to meet Gabriel's eyes. 

**"Mr Agreste, it's such a pleasure to meet you, but while I am more than glad that you can speak English, I assume that you have heard of my sister"**

Gabriel nodded,  **"She is here"**

Tokyu sighed in relief,  **"Thank goodness, I lost track of her after she ran away from our parents, I don't blame her though, they have always been like that and I have given them a rough time because of that. They have always treated her like a disposable child"**

**"I see. I know the feeling when I was with my late wife"** Gabriel smiled at remembering that. 

**"So why is she with you? I don't know why the heck she immigrated here but I don't know how much a soul our parents kept contained either"**

Gabriel sighed,  **"She has been through a lot. But you are right as well, she has changed a lot, and her soul has been running free"**

**"By how much?"**

**"She.......transitioned..."**

**"Oh. Oh my dear lord........."** He took in a breath,  **"Those bastards......good thing that when they told me to marry someone of their choosing, I told them to fuck off, and I came here to look for her....him. Can I see her?"**

Gabriel smiled,  **"She is. She's in bed sick with the cold. But I think you'll brighten her day"**

**"Thank you, so much"**

Gabriel turned to the direction of his bedroom,  **"Follow me"**

As they went along, Gabriel thought to ask some questions,  **"When was the last time you saw her?"**

**"Not since she left apparently. She told me that she was going to leave in tears, and I told her to go and that I would hold the fort. Our parents do complain so I hear some things about where she is and what she's doing but, I don't know most of the time of what is true or false lies"**

**"So, how did you find us?"**

**"Er, well, I'm a hotel owner. So......I own a few hotels in America and I found that someone by my last name took a reservation with you so I took my chances"**

**"You got some luck I'll tell you that"**

Tokyu grinned,  **"Hell yeah. Looks like I scored too"**

Gabriel and Tokyu approached the bedroom and Gabriel reminded him to be quiet before they entered. 

Gabriel was glad that Nooroo and Duuusuu went into their hiding places as they came in, before Tokyu set his eyes on Tom. 

The mans gaze widened when he found him, lying in bed sleeping. 

**"Oh my god........he looks so peaceful, I have never seen him like that before......and look at him, he's a man now, a fully grown one at that"**

**"He kind of looks like you"** Gabriel commented.

**"Genetics yeah? I'll see if I can gently shake him awake, I'd love to speak with him"**

**"Yeah, just be gentle about it"**

Tokyu went around to Tom's side, sat down on the bed beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. 

"Hey, nee san, it's onii chan. Wake up" he said gently with their native language, and slowly, Tom groaned before opening his eyes. 

They flew awake when he realised who was there. "Onii chan!!" He gasped. 

**"Hey there little brother"** Tokyu smiled widely. 

Tom threw the towel he had on his head off and sprung up to hug his brother happily. 

"Onii chan!!!" Tom cried, laughing. 

**"Whoa whoa whoa! Wow, you're damn strong"** Tokyu hugged him back, chuckling,  **"You've become a man, how have you been?"**

**"I'm sick but I've been better, what are you doing here?"** Tom let go of him and took in the sight of him,  **"You would be married by now"**

**"Married my ass, I've had a few girlfriends but, there's no chance cause of our folks. So I told them to fuck off, and I'm here now to find you"**

Tom laughed,  **"You've always been like that, giving them a hard time"**

**"Yup, I've been a repulsive child, even after this time, getting straight A's so I can give them shit"**

**"So what have you been doing?"**

**"Hotel owner"**

**"Musician"**

**"The piano?"**

**"Yup, I work among the best"**

**"That's my girl!"**

They chuckled, giving each other hugs. 

**"So I'm guessing that this is your man"** Tokyu pointed to Gabriel. 

Tom rolled his eyes and Gabriel spluttered in embarrassment,  **"He's handsome but no, he's a close friend. And I did have a boyfriend once"**

**"Huh. What happened? Did he cheat?"**

**"Ah no, I used to live in lower Manhattan and we worked together but I lost him in the 9/11 attacks"**

Tokyu's face fell,  **"Oh, I'm so sorry......"**

**"His name was Jake, you would have absolutely loved him. You'd would've kicked butt together"**

**"So then that's why you moved here?"**

**"Yup. Story of my life. So now I'm here living with this wonderful man"**

Gabriel visibly blushed. 

**"Huuuuh"** Tokyu hummed, sparing a glance at Gabriel. **"Well, have the old folks visited?"**

**"Yeah, to disown me!"  
**

Tokyu growled,  **"Well then, add me to the same boat. I'm fed up with them anyway"**

**"What? Are you sure?"**

**"No one disowns my best sibling, we've got to stick together this time. We've been apart for way too long"**

**"But......where will you live?"**

**"I'm hanging around the Grand Paris Hotel, no worries, I can afford it, in no time I will have an apartment and a few hotels to steal"**

**"You did have good prices for such a highly rated hotel then......when you buy them, what do you do with them?"**

**"Well, I make them nice and lovely for everyone's use, I have learned from our parents that life is short, so I actually make nights affordable and employ a lot of people to give them jobs, they're hard to find these days. I have points cards so people can use them to pay for nights later, along with flight points, and then give everyone equal treatment. These hotels may be five star rated, but that doesn't matter to me"**

**"Ooooh, no wonder the rooms we had contained a kitchen, I thought that it was very convenient"**

**"Yeah. Our parents don't like the way I work and demand money off me, but I only give them as much as they need, no more than they actually demand. When you're a good person and you give, you'll get a lot back to you, appreciation, respect, and love"**

Tom smiled,  **"You've always been a nice and protective brother"**

**"I still remember you running into my arms before I would yell at our parents to go away, because when you cried, it terrified and wounded me"**

**"Yeah.......they said that I should learn the violin, but I wanted the piano, but noooo, they wanted me to learn the violin, and got me to play until my fingers bled"**

**"I hated that. We aren't disposable, I mean, they're so mean that I think that their romantic story is all lies"**

**"Hmm.......after disowning me, maybe that's the case"**

**"But let's not talk about them, you're sick right? You should be resting"**

**"I'm feeling a bit better since you came, but I am still sick"**

**"He's right. You should rest"** Gabriel said. 

**"I'll come and visit sometimes, it's so nice to see you again nee san"**

**"You too big bro"** Tom replied softly. 

**"Why don't you join us for dinner tomorrow tonight? You'll be able to experience your brothers excellent cooking"** Gabriel suggested. 

**"If I'm well enough"**

**"Text me if you are, I'd love to join you guys. Get better quick Sakura, you're a fighter, you've always been one"**

Tom smiled,  **"My name is Tom now"**

**"Ah. Tom, it suits you well"**

They paused for a moment before giving each other a hug. 

**"See you soon then"**

**"You too nii chan"**

Tom went towards the door, and Gabriel joined him,  **"I'll lead you out"**

**"Thanks. Bye sis!"**

**"Bye!"** They both waved to each other. 

Once Tokyu and Gabriel went out the door and closed it, Tokyu patted Gabriel on the shoulder. 

**"Thank you. So much"**

**"No worries, he's very special. Do you have any French on board with you?"**

**"None, man, do you have any places in which you can refer me to?"**

**"Hmmm.......do you have any other professions that you do?"**

**"I tutor English"**

**"Oh? Hmm, then I have the perfect thing for you......I have a son, and English is important, while he is equipped with it, there is still more improvement. Is it possible that you could tutor him? His girlfriend Marinette could join as well and as she is only basic in English, you could learn with her"**

**"Ohhh.......what time?"**

**"After school on Tuesdays"**

**"Which means today"**

**"You don't have to...."**

**"I've had experience juggling things all the time, I'll have some papers done by tonight and a taught young couple. What time?"**

Gabriel smiled at this opportunity. 

 

Adrien's phone beeped during lunch and he picked it up to check. 

"Oh, Marinette!"

"What is it Adrien?"

"Dad changed my Chinese tutor to an English one, he will be there after school and he says that you are free to join"

"Really? Well, since we have been going into high year levels, English has become more important"

"Yeah, so, what do you think Mari? Would you like to join me?"

"I'd love to, I agree, English is stepping up and I really need a boost"

"Okay then, it's settled, I'll text him back"

 

Gabriel received his text at the front door,  **"All clear, he's coming with her"  
**

**"Brilliant, I'll see you in the afternoon"**

**"Goodbye"**

**"Bye"**

He left and Gabriel went back to his room. 

"Thanks so much for letting him in, did he come here or did you find him?" Tom asked. 

"He came here himself, apparently he owned the hotel that we slept in and found your name in your reservation"

"He's always been clever"

"Well I didn't know that you had an older brother, how far apart are you two?"

"We're by two years, I lost contact with him after I ran off, I did speak with him before I did but he told me that it was best that we didn't otherwise our parents would try and get a hold of me. Until they eventually did, it was two years after Jake died and I had strengthened from the loss"

"How did you react?"

"I didn't have the care in the world at the time, I was in a hole and I couldn't feel very well"

"Ah, I see. I know the feeling"

"Tokyu told me that he would hold the fort and give them crap while I was gone. I always hated me being trapped, so he let me go, and it was good for me. I got to meet Jake, and then, you, and Marinette, Adrien and everyone despite everything else"

Gabriel smiled fondly. 

And Tom sneezed. 

"Heh" Gabriel let out a chuckle. 

"Go ahead and do your work, don't hold back on me now, I'll probably fall asleep anyway"

"Oh yeah. About that, the final drafts came in from yesterdays photo shoot" he grabbed a photo from his desk and showed it to Tom. 

"Ah, whoa, that's us?" 

"Yup"

"Erm........I'm impressed, I can't believe that's me, did I do a good job?"

"A fantastic job. You should be proud"

"My eyes are so blue........and......I look like a real man, geez, after so many years of fussing over my chest, I......." tears appeared in his eyes, "Sorry" he tried blinking them away, "I'm so happy...." 

Gabriel patted him on the shoulder. 

"When is that going to be used?"

"For the fashion magazine next week"

"But it's only Tuesday" 

"All is well when you finish your work earlier as possible" Gabriel put the photo back on his desk and sat down. 

"True. Jagged's workplace are all slackers, but don't tell him I said that" 

"Like the moment he leaves the office, hell breaks loose?"

"Weeell......when he's in his office, we lie low, but when he's gone, there's a lot of playing around. When he comes back, everyone goes into what they call Ayers"

"Why Ayers?"

"Jagged Stone, as in stone like the Australian Ayers rock, as being the biggest star in Paris, he deserves the name of the biggest stone in the world"

"Aaaah......do you slack around?" 

"Nope. But since that I have formed a bond with the guys, I'm going to be involved"

Gabriel laughed. 

"Have you ever slacked off?"

"NNnnnnnnnnoo........other than being Hawkmoth, I've never slacked off in my life"

"Really? That's hard to believe, haven't you ever get yourself loose at least once?" 

"No........is that bad?"

"Having a balance between things is good for you, too much of one thing is not good"

"Is that a fact?"

"........Mentally"

"Hmm, so it's okay to have a night out once in a while?"

"Okay, don't start there"

"Oops" Gabriel caught himself, "But surely.......it can't be that bad"

"The drinking, singing, or the sex?" 

Gabriel hummed, ".....Maybe......the singing and the sex?" 

Tom made a surprised sound at that answer. 

"But let's not go there now, my heart is still a little broken" 

"Yeah, I do agree that we still have to explore on that topic" 

A bit of silence followed along with the scratches of Gabriel's pen. 

".......Am I being too personal?" 

"No, not at all......I don't even know why this has to be so awkward"

Gabriel banged his head against the desk with a groan. 

Tom quirked a smile. 

"There's no harm in loving someone" Nooroo said in the corner.  

"Please don't Nooroo" Gabriel shook his head. 

 Tom didn't say anything after that. 

 

"Hey Dad! Who is the new tutor?" Adrien asked as he brought Marinette in with him. 

"Ah, you might be surprised......but he is a native English speaker and he is learning French so he will be perfect for you Marinette. You can help him as well, that way you can form good understanding in each others language"

"I like the idea when you have to actually learn. Where is he?" 

Then Tokyu appeared,  **"Hello!"** He said. 

Adrien and Marinette rose eyes at him. 

**"Er, he looks kind of like......"**

**"My brother Tom, yeah, you must be Adrien......and you are young lady.....?"**

Marinette thought that if she started simple, he would pick things up,  **"Erm, Bonjour, je m'appelle Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Bonjor, hello, je m'appelle, I am called"**

**"Or my name"** Adrien added.

**"Marinette Dupain-Cheng"** She finished. 

**"Aaah, good. Je m'appelle Tokyujumaru Yurazaki. Is that right?"**

**Marinette clapped.**

**"You got it!"**

**"Good. Wonderful"**

**"Looks like you are all going to get along well without any worries"** Gabriel said, satisfied. 

**"So......you're Tom's bro?"** Adrien asked. 

**"Yeah, hi, nice to meet you"**

**"Awesome!"**

Gabriel clicked his fingers once so Tikki and Plagg have an all clear to zip into hiding. 

**"I am learning French as well, so we will get to know each other's languages, shall we have our first lesson?"**

**"Sure!"**

**"Well then, shall we go to your room or someplace else?"**

**"The lounge will be great"**

**"Okay. We will be off Mr Agreste, and I'll see you later"**

**"Have a good time"**

**"See ya!"** Adrien gave his Dad a wave as they went off. 

Once they went out of his view, Plagg and Tikki came up, "Gabriel, how nice of him to show up. Did he come for Tom?"

"He did, it's been a long time since they saw each other, so they had a nice catch up. But since that Tokyu is staying in the country, he doesn't know any French so I suggested that he would learn by tutoring Adrien"

Tikki hummed, "I never noticed that you could be so kind to others in your own way. I have been blinded before, I apologise for my early mindset"

"That's okay Tikki, apology accepted"

"How is Tom?" Plagg asked. 

Gabriel frowned, "You're just asking that because you don't know if you'll get your favorite cheese meal...."

"Guilty as charged!" 

Gabriel sighed. 

"Gabriel. Maybe we should have the patrol we cancelled yesterday tonight"

"You think so?"

"Yeah, Marinette and Adrien haven't had the chance to transform for a while"

"Alright, I'll talk to them after their class and see what we can do"

 

 

"So" Ladybug started. 

"Yeah. I never thought that we would end up hanging like this" Chat admitted. 

"I'm more curious about what you two exactly do....." Hawkmoth said as he stood in between the two heroes. 

"We take trips around the city to make sure that everything is okay" Ladybug explained. 

"That sounds simple enough"

"And we need to make a trip to Alya's place"

"Her? Erm, why?" Chat asked. 

"She has been making a plan for you to announce that you are standing down as a villain and re-introducing yourself properly as a hero"

"I see.......well, I'd like to hear what she has planned"

"Alright! Then, rules"

_"Oh dear......"_

"I'm the boss" She said very clearly. 

"And.....why are  _you_ the boss?" Chat asked. 

"Because while we can both watch over Hawkmoth, I can purify his akumas. Now, did you bring any today?"

"No, I did not. I can hide one in my scepter, but there isn't any" he opens it up, "See?"

"Ah. Good then" 

"But I can take away his akumas too, I have his powers ya know"

"But you can't repair the damage"

"True" Chat shrugged. 

"So, we all good?" She asked. 

"You're the lady" Hawkmoth said. 

"Alright then, let's go!"

 

They took a trip around Paris with Hawkmoth in the middle of the line, after a nice run and check, they went to Alya's place through the window. 

"Wha-! Ladybug!! Chat Noir!!!" Alya squealed. 

"We have brought a special guest too" Ladybug said before Hawkmoth came in. 

"Hello" The man said. 

"Hawkmoth!! Can I live this? I'd like to have an interview!" 

"Can she?" Chat asked. 

"Go ahead, I don't see any harm in it" 

"Give me a sec, I gotta get my phone....." She went scrambling around for it, "Sit down you three, make yourselves comfortable"

They all sat down nicely on the nearest couch. 

"Alright......three, two.....one!" 

She started recording. 

"Hello Ladyblog fans! I have something special for you live, and we have today our favorite heroes aaaand, Hawkmoth!!" She introduced and turned the camera to the trio. 

"What a surprise! Hawkmoth has joined us today-"

"-In our custody...." Ladybug put in, giving Hawkmoth a proud look and he frowned. 

"And supervision of course!" Chat added. 

"You two......" 

"For an interview!" Alya ended, "Wow! Ladybug, Chat Noir, why do you have our most hated and mysterious villian with you today? isn't he dangerous?" 

"What?" Hawkmoth face twisted in confusion. 

"He isn't in shackles for a reason Alya" Ladybug said. "And that's because that like Chat Noir, he is much more than a just villain. After all this time, we have come to see what kind of person he is"

"Oh really? And could you properly introduce yourself Hawkmoth?"

"Well, my name is Hawkmoth but my earlier name was Pappilion, I have had my miraculous for around ten years and I am a middle aged man with my son Chat Noir"

"Pappilion? Can you explain the recent release of 9/11 videos? Why are you involved?" 

"The release of these videos contain the fact that I was a victim at the time, I was in the hundredth floor when the first plane crashed. The entire floor was engulfed with smoke, and with my ability to sense emotions, there were too many emotions coming from terrified people to ignore. So I made it my mission to help as many as possible, the videos are recorded proof that I was there and of what I did through my own eyes"

"So this was way before you started releasing akumas?"

"That's right"

"Was that the only time you did a role as a hero?'

"The only time, I never transformed up until I started being a villian"

"I see. So why did you start going down such a different path?"

Hawkmoth composed himself, and started speaking, "My wife went missing"

"Your wife? You're married?"

"Well......technically, I'm not anymore"

"Why?"

"She passed away"

Alya frowned, "So......what did the akuma's have anything with your wife?"

"I made a big mistake by being such an ignorant husband. As a person, I don't take things for granted, so, I thought if I could get the Ladybug and Black Cat heroes attention, and gain their miraculous, I could have the power to take myself back and fix everything"

"Only problem that, I did it the wrong way. As a result, I hurt my only son in so many ways, and once I came to see that I was only doing so much worse, I stopped. But......then my wife passed away'

"I failed. So I have no more of a reason why I should keep releasing akuma's, because if I keep going, I will only harm others. I realised.......that the only way to fix things was to move forward, make time with my son more and stop shutting myself in my lair full of nothing but butterflies"

Chat chuckled. 

"I miss my wife. I really really miss her, but knowing how she died painfully......no one deserves such pain, or fear, looking back at the towers reminds me that. Even if the pain still lingers, scars can heal, so I stepped down and put myself into these two heroes custody"

"Recently....." Alya got out a letter, "You have been sending people letters to apologise, not just akuma victims but others affected. I mean, that's a brave move"

"Even if you're old, you're always going to make mistakes. And it's not bad if you admit it, it takes a lot off my shoulders"

"I was really surprised, and really happy to see that you have admitted that you did something wrong"

"I'm really sorry. I don't expect anyone to forgive me, but as soon as I'm out, helping these two wonderful people around in this city, I'm happy as long as I won't be harming people again, but making things better, and different this time"

Ladybug giggled. 

"Thank you Hawkmoth, I think everyone will definitely appreciate that the city will now be akuma and villain free!"

The three nodded. 

"In return for your apology and the freedom that you have given back, I also have a present for you"

"Really?" 

Alya put her phone on a stand so the camera still has a good view, before she approached Hawkmoth and put her arms out wide.

"A hug!"

"Oh?" Hawkmoth smiled and received her hug, he pat her on the back as he hugged her softly. 

"You're softer than I thought!" She said as she released the hug. 

Hawkmoth hummed. 

"And I'm very sorry about your wife, was she a nice woman?"

"Oh yes, she is the most caring soul in the world. She was the first thing that touched my heart, I will.....miss her very dearly, It breaks my heart to know that I will never see her again" 

"You have done a great sacrifice to let her go"

Chat Nodded. "Yeah.....it's been hard without her. Dad is the only family I have now"

Hawkmoth patted his son on the shoulder. "Yeah, I'm not going to waste yours by making the same mistake like I did with her"

Chat nodded with tears in his eyes. 

"Do you have anything to say to the fans Chat Noir?"

"Well erm, please don't blame Dad for anything, everything he did was human, despite what you may think, he's the best, most loving person in the world and as bizarre as it sounds, he did it out of love. And I look forward to what the future will bring"

"Thank you Chat Noir. Also, Hawkmoth, in the last week, in America you were sighted on the news with a partner, can you tell us who that was?"

"Ah, that was my new partner, Le Paon. He was given his miraculous the same way ladybug and Chat Noir got theirs, I beleive that he was assigned to look after me and he has been a wonderful help, especially in his efforts in the last week. Unfortunately he is under the weather today so he wasn't able to join us tonight"

"Maybe next time, so he is a peacock, I'm guessing?"

"Yes, he is a peacock"

"And what is his power?"

"It's kind of similar to mine but his feathers give protection to people, also he can feel emotions like me"

"Wow! That's cute! I'd like to see him sometime!"

"Me too. He's a wonderful person, and I hope for him to join us soon"

"Thank you so much Hawkmoth, for joining us tonight!"

"Thank you for having us"

"It's the end of Hawkoth's villainy, and the start of peace!" Ladybug cheered. 

They all agreed with a cheer. 

 

Hawkmoth felt a little hesitant in letting Emilie go but, baby steps. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short but......I have good plans for the next chapter! Ehehehehe~


	31. Day 39

Tom woke in the middle of the night feeling right out of place. He was uncomfortable in the position he was in, sleeping on his stomach.

 

Blinking a bit, he looked around and found Gabriel sleeping comfortably on his side facing him. So he decided to turn his body on his side and rest his head on the pillow. Nope. That doesn't work. 

He turned to his other side and sighed, how can he not get a comfortable position on this bed? It's like, the biggest, fluffiest, most comfortable and most exquisite bed you can possibly buy. 

He went on his back, and looked up at the bed's surface, with the curtains shut, he noticed that the curtains never shut before, maybe it's to keep the warmth inside? Or is there are more significant meaning to it?

It seemed dark- of course it was dark, the curtains we're shut. That's convenient. But he could see Gabriel's ruffled hair over his sleeping face, it looked nice on him, he was relaxed, and peaceful. 

Looking back at the surface, he sighed, if he can't find a good position to sleep then he may as well be awake for the remainder of the night. 

He went and grabbed an extra pillow on the end of the bed that took a bit to reach, putting the fat pillow on top of his- which was already fat, and put his head on that. He had to arch his back a bit because it was a bit high, so he turned around and put his arms on the top pillow, and chin rested on. 

He felt a bit silly, but raising his butt up before he got up, got him stopping in his movement. 

_"This feels familiar......."_

He went back into the position and raised his butt again,  _"This is a sex position, but how? All I remember from Jake is doing it with him in front, not from behind.......and the only times when we did it from behind is in a sitting position....."so why is this familiar....?"_

He stuck his butt out a little more and felt a little tingly, closing his eyes, he tried to remember. 

_"I do remember being warm.....being embraced........just.....the size......what did Jake used to say?"_

He opened his eyes,  _"What sprouts.......to be a tree......and what grows....under the ground..........."_

He turned around into a sitting position, arched his back backwards and opened his legs, remembering how they used to do it.  _They used to be molded together._

Remembering Jake's stomach against his back, he remembered. Jake would fit swiftly in, but......he remembered by his heart, but not his body, he seemed a bit stretched out more. It felt a little intruding..... 

The body he had that used to fit to Jake was no longer.......

He got out of bed and grabbed an old journal from his old days with Jake, seeing written poems by his deceased lover by hand, he also had note written by himself inside. 

It was weird for his younger self to note down how big Jake was but then again, for his own health, it was important to know. Sitting down on the bed, he took a look at the old records, reading them, a better picture clicked to his mind and so he turned to Gabriel, before determining a difference. 

Remembering looking at Jake first thing in the morning like that, he took his chance when Gabriel decided to lay on his back in his sleep. 

_"Judging by the tingle and feeling of being stretched out more........."_

He took a look,  _"Yup. Definitely bigger"_

He shut his book quietly and put it away before looking at the clock,  _"What the hell am I doing three o clock in the morning?!"_ He went back into bed. 

Before he remembered the stupid pillows. Lightly growling at them, he assumed that if they had sex that night, it was likely that they did it like that. 

_"Damn that would have been tight, it would hit all of the best spots. No wonder I couldn't walk, I was up like that, and my back, ow, it hurt....."_

_"But......how did it happen? And why? Why did we end up like......"_

And then he remembered. 

_"Wait, Jake once told me that I cry over my problems when I'm drunk so maybe..........when we got to bed, that's when I started off, and maybe Gabriel decided to comfort me"_

It made sense. 

_"So it was comfort sex huh? Jake would do it, but I didn't think that Gabriel would....."_

He smiled. 

_"Oh, wasn't there supposed to be a report after that doctors appointment?"_

"Hey" Gabriel spoke which got him out of his thoughts. "Can't sleep?"

"Oh, sorry, did I wake you?"

"You were moving around. What are you doing?"

"Oh, I was........" he awkwardly figured out a way to say it, "Re enacting the drunken sex from that night"

That got Gabriel awake, "What?"

"I remembered that I'm a crying drunk, so, I figured that maybe we were just comforting each other" 

"Oh. Then......do you feel okay with that?" 

"I think it's a really nice gesture"

Gabriel blushed. 

"Also......we we're doing it like this" he showed the position. 

"Oh, that's common with me. That makes sense"

"And, you stretched me out a bit, Jake was 12 cm, you?"

Gabriel frowned awkwardly at that question, "15......" 

"Holy crap!" Tom whispered, "That.....was in  _me_?" 

"I thought you would have already known since you've  _sat_ on it once" 

Tom remembered, "Oh yeah, you were definitely bigger" 

"This is revenge for me measuring your crotch is it?" 

"Er, it wasn't intentional. Besides, you did it in front of everyone" 

"Wasn't my intention either, they wanted to know what I was thinking" 

"You and me both then" 

They relaxed. 

"Also, why did you decide to close the curtains?" 

Gabriel smiled at the question, "Well, to be honest, I close the curtains if I have a lover in the bed with me"

Tom blushed. 

"But I like to give you safety and privacy, also, even if we're not dating, you're close to that"

Tom's eyes widened when he realised what he just said, "What?" 

"I have to admit, I do have a little crush on you"

"What? When? HOW?" 

"Well......it came out in drawings yesterday" Gabriel explained before getting his book, opening it up to a page, and showing it to him. 

Tom gasped, it was a beautiful hand drawing of him and Gabriel snuggling together while he was holding a baby in his arms along with Adrien by their side, it looked so beautiful it touched his heart.

"I realised then that.........you mean the world to me"

His mouth dropped in surprise before he put down the book, "Gabriel.........I-"

"You don't need to say anything, I know, it's.......well, you don't have to respond to my feelings, it's a little crush, but if you don't want it to burn into a fire, tell me now"

Tom looked at the book and back at him, "Not 'tell me now' Gabriel, tell me more. Why on earth do you like me?" 

"I.......I don't know where to start" Gabriel looked open and weak, like he was exposed to Tom. 

"Start from the beginning, I want to know what your heart says"

Gabriel shyly looked away a bit before clearing his throat and looked at Tom, "Okay. Well, I...... er, I don't want to lose you to another soul, If I'm in love, I take my chances. But with you........."

Tom listened. 

"I want to be the one to love you, to make you smile, to take those tears away and fill your heart with so much light that you won't feel hurt anymore"

Gabriel looked at him, "When you're in pain, I wish I could take it away. It makes me so vulnerable and weak.........my heart hurts for you"

"I don't want anything to be out of pity, just out of love and more.......to hold your hand and be in peace with each other, to fight with each other. To protect each other"

Tom took in a breath, this is coming so soon. 

"I want to give you so much.......not because of the past, because I want to carry you on. To take things slow, enjoy life, and to have you alongside me, forever"

"I once asked myself, if Emilie dies, what will I do? Well, I figured that, I can keep going, and fall in love with someone else. And I can just as hard in love with that person"

"It's been a while for me to realise, but the universe has been telling me to seek after you, after all the events, I think it's meant to be. And with my heart, it is, even if you feel it or not, I am more than happy to spend my life with you in any way"

"To be honest, when I had that confusion, after I was kidnapped, when you told me that I might have been confused. In the back of my heart, I was hurt. It felt like an excuse to get my feelings out of the way"

"No no Gabriel, I thought only best. Emilie just died, I didn't want anything muddling up your thoughts, but.......now....." 

"My mind is clear" 

"Then I have one question"

"Go ahead"

"You were Hawkmoth for a time now, you loved her so much you were prepared to anything. Is that fight all for naught now?"

"I did think about that.........but well, I fought for her with all my heart, there is no question. But now, I can fight for you, because you are worth fighting for"

Tom looked back at the book, "I need to search my feelings for a bit first. Can I keep this for a while?"

"Go ahead"

 

Before breakfast, he made the decision to go and see Adrien. 

Knocking on the door, he thought that it was the right thing to do so, before anything progresses any further. 

The door opened and Adrien stood, "Hi, Tom, can I help you?"

"Can I come in? It's important"

"Sure" Adrien let him in, and Tom locked the door. 

"What are you doing?" Adrien asked. 

"Gabriel can't hear of this, not for the while"

"Wh-why?"

"Adrien. I'm going to be serious with you"

Adrien backed up a bit, what could be so serious?

"You see......you Dad has developed a crush on me" 

Adrien blinked for a second, and after he processed it, he burst out laughing. 

"Whoa Tom! Hahahahaha! Good one, that's so funny"

Tom's face blanked, groaning. "Adrien......."

"Were you planning a prank on me or something? How can I believe that? Hahahahaaha...."

Tom opened the book and showed the drawing to Adrien. 

"What- whoa!" His eyes bulged out at seeing it before grabbing the book to take a close look. 

"Like I said, I'm serious" Tom said. 

"This is Dad's sketchbook!" Adrien looked at the front cover. 

"Damn right"

"Just friends, my ass! Tom, it's been a week since Emilie died!" 

"You tell me" 

"What on earth is this? Dad fights for my Mother for a year, and has a crush on someone in like.....ten seconds? The hell???? Why would he let it all go in a week's span?!"

"He said and I quote; "I fought for her with all my heart, there is no question. But now, I can fight for you, because you are worth fighting for"

Adrien's mouth dropped. 

"I know. And the party is tonight! What could he plan to do? Flirt? And the entire day, what happens? Make my breakfast, kisses on the cheek, attempts to catch my heart, if I know someone with a crush, it's all attempts to try and sweep me off my feet"

"You know, knowing myself, I think you're right. I've never seen Dad in love before"

"And if he succeeds, what next? I know I like family but you gotta think about everything before that. Marriage, I might become your step Mum! It affects everyone's lives! And.....possibly a step sibling for you in your case"

"I don't mind a sibling. I think it would actually be cool to have one" Adrien mused. "Besides, I think that, if my Dad is happy and you are, then I have no problem with anything"

"Really?" 

"I actually have always wanted a little sister, I have always thought that it would be nice having a pitter patter of feet moving around the house. But, I know that a relationship can become serious but, Dad has always been in a lonely place, since I became Chat Noir and approached him, all I want is for him to be happy. That's all, in fact, I'll help you"

Tom smiled.

"That is, if you want to be with him. Of course! But maybe I'll give him a slap on the shoulder, seriously"

Tom made a noise. 

 

**"Good morning Gabriel!"** Tokyu came in through the front door, **"Good morning Tokyu, how are you?"**

**"Just fine, thank you for that dinner, Tom is a really good cook. His recipes will be a good addition"**

**"I'm glad to hear that Tokyu"** Gabriel said, while Tokyu paid attention, but his gaze went off, and then back at Gabriel. **"It's always nice to have a get together"** He added while Tokyu was getting distracted again. 

**"Tokyu?"**

**"Ah, sorry"** Tokyu looked back at Gabriel. 

**"Are you okay?"** Gabriel turned around to see what he was looking at, and it happened to be Nathalie who was standing in the corner. 

Gabriel had to admit, he was surprised that Natalie could be a distraction for Tokyu. 

**"Who is she?"** He asked. 

**"Really? You're asking me that?"**

**"I am, what's her name?"**

**"Nathalie, she's an assistant of mine, but a member of our family as well"**

**"Why didn't I see her at dinner?"**

**"She was holding the fort for me, as I like spending time with Adrien, she helps around so much"**

Nathalie didn't notice that Tokyu was staring as she was doing work on her tablet.

**"I see. Is she married?"**

**"No"** Gabriel frowned as he wondered why he asked. 

**"Good. Introduce me to her"**

**"What?!"**

**"Good god Gabriel, look at her"**

Gabriel looked at her. And didn't see anything. So he then looked back at Tokyu for anything. 

**"Look at her for what?"**

Tokyu sighed and went ahead to approach Nathalie.  **  
**

_"What are you doing?!"_

Without knowing whether or not if Nathalie could speak English, Tokyu came over to her. 

"Good morning" He said. 

And Nathalie looked up to his friendly face. 

**"Oh. Hello....."**

**"Can I distract you from your workload?"** he asked. 

Nathalie looked down at her tablet, then at Gabriel who shrugged and motioned for her to go ahead, then back at Tokyu. 

**"I have finished my assignments for the day"**

**"Wonderful, I'm afraid we haven't yet met"**

**"We haven't, but Tom and Gabriel have spoken of you"**

**"Well then"** He took her hand and kissed it, his other arm behind his back,  **"Hello Mademoiselle, Tokyu, what is your fine name?"**

Nathalie was surprised by his inviting behavior towards her,  **"Nathalie"**

**"Really? We're you born on Christmas day?"**

**"I was, how did you know?"**

**"I heard it from somewhere, then I'll have to keep in mind to get you double the amount of presents"**

She then noticed that he was flirting with her, but paid no mind as she felt herself blush and loosen herself a little from her monotone voice and calm nature. 

**"What has brought you to me?"**

**"I ran away from my parents because they told me to marry someone of their choosing. So when I left, I told myself that when I set my eyes on a woman I feel like I could possibly have a connection with, I'd ask her out. Possibly to the party tonight, that is, if you don't have one yet"**

Damn he was straight to the point. 

And as she looked at him, he had the figure that she fancied, but he didn't tower over her as a power message, he simply leaned back and relaxed with her. She liked that, his calm nature could be felt. 

**"You are in luck, I don't have a date"**

**"Whaaaaat? No one has asked you out?"**

**"No, not a word"**

Tokyu sighed and tsked in disappointment,  **"Well then, I'm glad I found you at the right time. I'm happy I can be good company at your side, empty space is better filled when you have someone to share it with. Am I right?"**

Nathalie held down a giggle, and her eyes lit up.  **"You are"**

**"Well then, we have all day, would you like a coffee? Or just tea, with milk or without?"**

**"Coffee please, there is a machine in the kitchen"**

**"Oh goody!"**

Then Nathalie giggled, and Tokyu smiled. She went ahead and walked with him, her tablet long forgotten. 

Gabriel was left gaping. 

_"He actually asked her out, and succeeded! And made her giggle!"_

He relaxed in surprise,  _"Well, if he is interested in her, then good for them. She deserves it"_

Then Adrien slapped him on the arm which brought him out of his thoughts. 

"Ow! What was that for?!" Gabriel yelped, and started rubbing his arm. 

"I don't know, I'm feeling crabby with you" Adrien grunted in annoyance. 

Gabriel looked at Plagg and the kwami shrugged. 

"Couldn't you have punched a pillow or something?"

Adrien shot him an annoyed look. 

"Okay okay, fine. I'll leave it alone. Where is Tom?" 

"Making breakfast"

"Oh. Great, Tokyu just arrived"

"Wonderful, where is he?!" Adrien brightened up. 

"I don't know, he just took interest in Natalie, asked her out, and swooped her away for a coffee!" Gabriel showed his surprise. 

"Oh. So that's why you we're gaping" 

"So many people falling in love with each other, gross" Plagg commented. 

Gabriel visually blushed, and rubbed his neck. 

"Good god" Adrien shook his head and sighed. "I'll be in the dining room" he said and left.

Gabriel didn't know what that was about but shook it off. 

Closing the front door, he went to the kitchen where Tokyu was just heading out. **"Oh! Gabriel, can I grab you for a sec?"**

**"Sure....."** He went along with him and went to the nearest hall. 

**"What is it?"** Gabriel scanned the worried look on Tokyu's face. 

**"I think I spoke out of turn"**

**"What do you mean?"**

**"I asked about Jake and......."**

**"You did not!"**

**"I'm sorry- I knew it could be a sensitive topic, I just didn't know how sensitive. He just went really down and told me to ask you instead"**

Gabriel sighed.  **"Oh. Phew. Is he okay?"**

**"For now"**

**"Goodness. What did you say?"**

**"I asked what he was like. Was he good to him?"**

Gabriel felt his spirit decay a bit,  **"Come with me, I'll explain"**

Tokyu followed Gabriel into the next corner. 

**"Okay. I don't know Jake, but I know what Tom has told me"**

Tokyu nodded his head. 

**"First of all, do not speak of Jake unless if he speaks of him. The last time he saw him, he was dead with only his upper body"**

Utter dread spread through Tokyu's face. 

**"Tom and Jake were in the impact zone, their offices were separate, Tom was safe but Jake wasn't"**

Tokyu listened. 

**"They owned a very small apartment near the tower in lower Manhattan, very lovely place. They worked together in the same company but they kept their relationship a secret. Jake was a very open minded soul, and carefree, he saw Tom for who he was, not what gender he was, as the very first person to embrace Tom as a whole, they loved each other very much. I was there when he was rescued under rubble"**

**"They were supposed to move to another country and get married. Tom just found the ring days ago"**

Tokyu gasped, tears rising up in his eyes in shock. 

**"My bro.......my little bro......."**

**"He's lived with this for seventeen years, don't push him on it"**

Tokyu nodded. 

**"He's told you all that?"** Tokyu asked. 

**"Yeah"**

**"He didn't want to even tell me. You know, he trusts you"**

Gabriel smiled a little bit. 

**".................You love him don't you?"**

Gabriel nodded admittedly. 

**"Then............. look after him. He needs it more than anyone else. Don't screw it up okay?"**

**"I won't. I promise"**

As Tokyu nodded, Gabriel felt like he should go to Tom, so he went ahead, in the kitchen, Tom was blinking his tears as he cooked. 

Gabriel didn't think that it was safe for him to cook right now, so he went and turned the stove off, before hugging Tom from behind. Instantly Tom yearned for his touch, so he could take a breath and relax. 

"I'm here......it's okay. Relax, think of something that will help" Gabriel soothed. 

Tom closed his eyes and he seemed like he was searching for something. 

 

Gabriel knew that he was a musician, but didn't think that his way of relaxing would be singing. 

**_T: Once there was a way, to get back homeward_ **

Gabriel's eyes lit up. What on earth was that?

_**T: Once there was a way, to get back home** _

_**Sweetie, darling, do not cry** _

_**And I will sing a lullaby** _

_Gabriel joined in, gosh, he just instantly loved his sweet sweet voice. But Tom was whispering since he was upset._

**_G: With a song in my heart_ **

And suddenly, Tom started to brighten up. He rose his voice a bit. 

_**T: So tell me, tell me something good** _

_**G: Tell me that you love me, tell me baby** _

_**G & T: ** **Tell me something good** _

Instead of just leaning down in tears, they rose up again and smiled at each other. 

_**T: Only you, can make this world seem right** _

_**G: I need your love** _

 Tom decided to switch a bit to play around a little. 

_**T: You don't have to be beautiful** _

_**To turn me on** _

Gabriel blushed, listening to that, he followed on. 

_**T: I just need your body baby** _

_**G: Hello** _

_**T: From dusk to dawn** _

_**G: Is it me you're looking for?** _

_**T: You don't need experience** _

_**G: Take** _

_**T: To turn me out** _

_**G: These broken wings** _

_**T: You just leave it all up to me** _

_**G: Let's talk about eggs baby** _

Tom blushed, "What?"

_**Let's talk about you and me** _

_**T: You don't have to be rich, to be my pearl** _

_**You don't have to be cool, to rule my world** _

_**Ant no particular song, I'm not compatible with** _

_**I just want your extra time and your-** _

****Caught in the moment, smiling up at Gabriel, suddenly he tripped, and fell on top of Gabriel.

With the music broken, Gabriel and Tom stared at each other awkwardly. 

Then they heard Tokyu chuckling, whilst looking at them.  **"Oh my~ Look at the chemistry!"** He chuckled. 

Blushing, Tom scrambled up and looking at down at Gabriel, he helped him up. 

**"Nii chan......"**

**"Don't be ashamed little bro, that was a nice show"**  

Tokyu gave him a knowing look. 

 

When they got ready for that night, Marinette came in, joined with Adrien, they went straight up to Adrien's room to get changed. Tokyu and Nathalie went and did the same in the guest rooms. 

"I have something prepared for you, Tom" Gabriel said. "Come with me" 

Tom wondered what kind of suit he prepared for him, and followed him into the bedroom. 

When they got inside, Tom stripped down to his boxers. 

"Ah, take those off, I have new proper prototype for you"

"Oh?" Tom took them off, and received a new type of underwear, he put them on and instantly he felt comfy. "Wow. No itchy stitches! It even has a flap at the bottom!"

"Does it feel okay?"

"It feels wonderful! 

"Good. Here are your pants and shoes" 

Tom put on the shoes and pants he was given, before Gabriel put a belt on him, leaving the top button and zipper down, he gave him a shirt to put on, and tucked that in. 

A silver vest was put on, before a black blazer and a bow tie. Gabriel styled his hair and sprayed it, with a nod of approval, he got changed as well and came back out with a similar sort of outfit but with a tie and gold vest. 

"I see now why you said that we wouldn't match" Tom chuckled. 

"Want to look in the mirror?" 

Tom went to the bathroom and took a look, once he did, he gasped. "Oh.....wow"

"Is it good enough?" 

"It's.........it's what Jake said I would be like"

Gabriel made a surprised hum. 

"He drew me exactly like this and said,  _"One day, we will be a family, in a nice house, and in a nice suit like this, together"_ It looks just like this" 

"Seems that he was right then"

"Weird coincidence"

"So.....do you like it?"

"I......I love it" 

"I'm pleased. Just one more thing though......" 

Gabriel went into his closet and came back with a gold pocket watch, attaching it to Tom's vest, he then let Tom take a hold and look at it. 

"This was Emilie's, take good care of it"

"I will. Is this in exchange for the handkerchief? This looks expensive......"

"The handkerchief is priceless Tom, I want you to have this"

Tom smiled softly up at him. 

"Though I will have to handle all of her clothes, I don't want to throw away that. It's her favorite pocket watch"

Tom turned it around and found her name engraved to it. 

"Thank you, I will take good care of it"

 

When they got to the front door, they met Nathalie and Tokyu. They were wearing red. 

"Red? Why on earth wear red?" Gabriel asked. 

**"Because as of today.......I am officially in _charge_ of my own life! Besides, when I got out of that stupid parents house of mine, I told myself that the next time I set my own eyes on an honest and beautiful soul, I'll take her out. And it happens to be this lovely lady" **

Nathalie smiled to herself with a tiny blush. 

Gabriel was honestly surprised, but happy at the same time for Nathalie, she deserved it, she deserves to find someone to spend her life with. 

 

Then the door bell rung. 

"Ah, that must be him"

"Who?" Tom asked. 

They opened the door, and Gabriel smiled at the new guest. 

 "Adrien!!!" Gabriel called out for his son. 

"Yes Dad?!"

"I have a surprise for yoooouuuuuuuu!" 

"Cominnnng!!" 

Gabriel smiled in the front hall, ready to see the surprise on his sons face. 

Once Adrien came down, he gasped. 

Because who had just arrived was his Grandfather, smiling up at him with a walking stick in hand. 

Gabriel's Father, Leo is an old elderly man with gray hair smoothed down, dressed in a suit and bow tie. He had his son's wide smile and seemed perky at his age. 

"Adrien, this is my Father, and your GrandFather, Leo" Gabriel introduced. 

"Hello" Leo said in a scratchy voice.

"GrandFather" Adrien came down to meet him, "It's so nice to finally meet you!"

"You too Adrien, you look like fine young man!" Leo took him into a hug, "It breaks my heart to hear about your Mother, she was a very lovely lady" 

"The best" Adrien let go, "I miss her so much"

"I understand that very well, but it get's better"

"It does"

Then Leo looked at Tom in surprise, "Who is this, son?" 

"Father, let me introduce to you, my friend, Tom" 

"Oh? A friend?"

Tom straightened up, "sir"

"Now now! Life's too short to put your back straight young man!" Leo tapped Tom's legs with his walking stick. 

"Oh, sorry....."

"It's so rare for you to have a friend, why the change of heart?" Leo asked. 

"He's very special to me" Gabriel said. 

"Is he? Ohhh......how so?"

"He has one of the biggest hearts I know, he is loving, caring, and despite our differences, I give back the same treatment" 

"Gabriel......" Tom was touched by his words. "You're the best as well" He smiled widely. 

"GrandFather, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend Marinette" Adrien said. 

"You have a girlfriend already? Time flies!"

"I'm sure she will be right down in a moment"

"Go after her" Leo said. 

"Thanks!" Adrien went off. 

"We have other friends joining us today" Gabriel said. 

That's when Nathalie joined in the conversation, dressed up in red with a bun, all ready to go. 

"Who is this young lady?" Leo asked. 

"This is Nathalie, my assistant, but for tonight, she is my friend"

"It's nice to meet you sir" Nathalie gave him a soft smile. 

"My pleasure. Thank you for taking care of my son"

"She did very much so, and deserves credit for many things in fact" Gabriel said. 

Nathalie gave him a knowing smile. 

"You look very beautiful" Tom said. 

"Thank you. Tokyu chose the dress for me"

"So this man is Tokyu?" Leo turned to the man standing next to Nathalie. 

"Hello" Tokyu gave the man a wave. 

"He doesn't speak much French, but he's learning" Gabriel explained. "Anyhow, it is lovely to see you again Father" 

"You too son. You have such lovely faces around you!"

"I do"

Then Adrien came down with Marinette, hand in hand, Marinette wore her signature dress, light pink while Adrien wore the same colors with a bit of light green to match his eyes. 

"My my!" Leo gasped. 

"GrandFather, meet Marinette"

"How lovely to meet you Leo!" Marinette said happily. 

"You too my dear, you are such a beautiful young lady" 

"Thank you~" 

 

The party was getting along wonderfully, everyone was talking among themselves, only that he had a funny feeling. 

_"What is this feeling? What is odd or out of the ordinary?"_ He thought. 

"Tom, I think there is something going around......." He told his friend. 

"Really? I just got my powers so I don't feel anyone scared......" 

"Maybe we can take a look around, just in case" 

"Anything to spend the time" 

They went over to Marinette. 

"Hello, miss, sorry but" he leaned down and whispered to her, "I can get your permission to transform, just in case?"

"Why?"

"I think I feel something, it could be nothing but I'll take a look around to see if there is anything to worry about"

"Okay. Go ahead, it's better safe than sorry"

Gabriel nodded to Tom and they went to the bathroom. 

"Give me a sec, just gotta wizz before we do anything" Tom quickly went up to an urinal, and quickly fiddling with things, he relieved himself. Standing. Up. 

Gabriel was shocked, how was he doing that?

"How......how are.....?" 

"I trained myself to do it"

"That's amazing. Give birth, pee standing up, you're amazing" 

Tom gave him a half blush, half shrug and finished up, fixing himself, he washed his hands and joined Gabriel in a toilet stall. 

"Here. We can transform safely" they let Nooroo and Duusuu out of their inner pockets, before they transformed. 

Slowly and safely, they left the stall, and opened the front toilet door. 

"Move around quietly, we don't want to startle anyone" Hawkmoth whispered. 

"Yeah" Le Paon agreed. 

They walked around in the background as much as they could. 

"Maybe follow that emotion? We could find something" Le Paon suggested. 

"Good idea" 

Le Paon followed Hawkmoth into an empty section of the hotel which wasn't booked, but empty. Probably some extra space for storage that was scattered around. 

"Isn't it kind of weird for us to leave the party halfway?" Hawkmoth asked. 

"I like to thing that everyone's safety is more important, and our priority. If you feel something then it should be addressed, what could happen if you just ignore it?" Le Paon said, as he looked around. 

"It kind of reminds me of dangerous emotions, I always knew that if I felt something out of the ordinary, it would actually reveal hidden emotions. But if you feel a great sense of hate, there would be a terrorist around"

"Thank god you don't feel that then. So.....if someone were to be afraid, you would feel that?" 

"Yes, that's correct"

"Then......is that how you tracked me?"

"That's how I tracked everyone, in both towers. Pain, fear, terror, death. Yours was hope. You wanted to live, so I went straight to you"

"Huh.........I didn't realise that" 

"I will know if there is any immediate danger if someone is scared. So stay at your pace and keep your feelings clear" 

"Roger that" 

They went searching around and moved to the next room, which was a restaurant that the party is supposed to move to. 

"It looks quite empty" Le Paon hummed. 

"Hey" They heard a young voice from behind and they turned around. 

It was Lila. 

"Fancy seeing you here Hawkmoth" She gave her sneer smile, "Nice partner"

"Thank you......" Hawkmoth said before giving Le Paon a look before looking back at Lila. 

He remembered Lila, she was the only person that was willing to be akumatised, she had a big hate for Ladybug, and it seems that she still does.....

"Nice act you have been pulling, need a sidekick?" 

"No. I already have what I need right here by my side"

"What? You're replacing me?"

"You're Lila, you're not replaced. I'm not being a villain anymore that's all"

"You're kidding right? I mean, you're the big bad guy of Paris, why give it all up?" Lila looked shocked, appalled. 

"For the people I love, they're worth more than anything in the world"

"So you're serious? You terrorized Paris over a  _wife?!_ Not anything to do with world domination or anything?!"

"No. That was never my intention"

"Ugh,  _lame_! This has been a total waste of my time! Later, _hero_ " She scoffed and left in anger.  

Le Paon frowned at Hawkmoth, "She seems a bit bitchy......"

"She hates Ladybug, I can feel it"

"But I did have a thought. Does the mayor live here?"

"Oh yes, he does"

"Then is it possible for him to get assassinated?"

"He's supposed to come to the party with Chloe........so....."

 

Meanwhile, Adrien went up to Marinette. "Hey Mari, have you seen Dad?"

"He asked my permission to transform, he is taking a look at something, he thinks there might be danger. There are suspicious emotions around" She explained. 

"Huh, because he better finish up quick, he has a speech to do after dinner, and people to meet. Chloe and her parents hasn't arrived here yet and all of the guests have"

Marinette watched him hum, "He's right, I feel the same thing, there is some kind of lurking danger, hiding around. Only that we can't see it"  

"Well if he has gone on the trail already, he'll find it. For now, we can help fill his duties by meeting people in his stead until he comes back"

"I hope so..... remember Montparnasse tower?"

"The fire that went out?"

"Yeah. These emotions are kind of similar. If someone is doing it on purpose, they might be here"

"But.....it could be anybody" 

"Well, if we find anything, I can communicate with Dad"

 

"Adrien knows" Hawkmoth said. 

"What?"

"Adrien has my abilities, he knows what we're up to. He can feel the disturbance" 

"How can he?"

"He was born that way, I used Nooroo's powers to enable Emilie to have a child, it was already hard enough to carry" 

Paon hummed, "Well, I think it would be best to go for the mayors office, good chance is, that we can check the security cameras"

"I think that's a start" 

They started making a move and found an elevator in the main hall, narrowly missing party guests. 

Paon could feel how determined Hawkmoth was, the party was no longer in his mind, only the problem at hand. 

Once they arrived at the top floor where the mayor's office is, it was quiet, too quiet. 

The lights were on but there was no sign of Chloe ranting, or the mayor clicking on his computer keys. 

"The emotion is stronger" 

"We're getting closer then" 

"I'd like to advise you that silver can penetrate a magical suit, if we end up with knives and bullets, we have to defend ourselves. Let's move slowly"

With a quiet nod from Paon, they walked on. 

Hawkmoth took a moment to send emotions to Adrien before reaching out to find the source. 

They reached the mayors office, and suddenly Hawkmoth went on full alert, "DUCK!!" 

As they did, they avoided getting shot in the head and Paon swung his sharp feathers around to pin a few men down, as he did so, Hawkmoth grabbed both guns using a certain magical force and threw them behind him. 

Two other men came up behind them. It was a trap. 

 

Adrien gave a sharp gasp. "Mari!"

Marinette spun around to meet Adrien's eyes, "What?"

"There's danger! We gotta transform and meet them at the mayors office, fast!" 

 

Paon lifted and spread his tail as a form of protection, and bullets ricocheted off before he sent more fathers through, pinning down the two behind. 

"Paon" Hawkmoth said quickly, "Do you know that birds preen a lot of fluff off when they shake their feathers? Do that!" 

Paon bent down and shook his feathers as much as he could before Hawkmoth rendered the amount of skin and fluff, and made them motionless in mid air, putting little butterfly energy in each, he let them spread wide to render the men paralysed. 

Solving the problem for the moment, they ran around the office to find anyone else suspicious. 

"Looks like the leader got spooked and ran. The emotion is gone" Hawkmoth confirmed. 

"But I do feel some pretty scared people......" Paon said. 

They heard frightened mumbling, and so Hawkmoth rushed over to a closet. Opening it up, he found a terrified Chloe inside. 

"Chloe!" 

She was tied up, so he undid the ties at her ankles, before the ones at her wrists and took the tape off her mouth. He had to admit, she was really surprised to see Hawkmoth of all people. 

"Chloe, are you alright?" He asked. 

"NO! I'm NOT okay! WHERE IS MY DADDY?!" She burst into tears. 

There there........when was the last time you saw him?" 

"In the private office......" 

While Hawkmoth rushed over to the next door which was the private office, Le paon hugged Chloe, puffing his feathers to comfort her. "It's okay sweetheart, we can get you pampered up and beautiful again. Tears don't have a good look on you"

"Right?" She replied. 

Hawkmoth came back out with the mayor, in which, the big man immediately went to his daughter, "Oh Chloe! Are you aright?" He asked. 

"I'm okay Daddy......" Chloe went up and hugged her Dad, "That peacock is a nice hugger" 

Hawkmoth inspected the paralysed men and rounded them up, they couldn't move for now, as Hawkmoth's magic was still going. 

"What exactly happened here?" Hawkmoth asked. 

"They tried to ransom me by taking my daughter and asking for money......" 

"They have guns......." Le Paon was surprised. 

 "I'm more surprised that you're the one to rescue us Hawkmoth" Andre said. 

"I could feel that there was something wrong. Would you like me to call the police?" 

"No, I will get my agents to resolve the issue asap"

Then a few guards came rushing in. 

"Take these men, immediately!" Audrey ordered, before turning to Hawkmoth. 

"Thank you so much....."

Then Ladybug and Chat Noir rushed in. "Hawkmoth!" Ladybug called. 

"Ladybug, it's all okay. Audrey and Chloe were captured but we have seized the criminals"

The two heroes looked around in surprise, "They had guns?!" Ladybug squeaked. 

"Dad" Chat Noir said as the guards took away the criminals and Hawkmoth released his magic, "Everything alright?" 

"Everything is good now. Are you feeling alright Chloe?" Paon asked. 

"My makeup is ruined......my wrists hurt......!" Chloe wined. "I'm supposed to be at a party looking fabulous, not stuck in a closet!!"

"Come with me, we can fix all that up" Le Paon suggested, "Hawkmoth is really good at fashion, he can make you look like a princess"

Chloe's eyes lit up in surprise, "He is?"

Audrey looked at him in surprise as well, and Hawkmoth smiled with a slight cringe. "Yes.....I am....do you have your planned dress? I can re do your makeup" 

Chloe hummed, "Okay, if you're good enough that is"

Chat Noir and Ladybug looked at each other and shrugged. 

After all that, Hawkmoth got Chloe all prepped up and beautiful much to Chloe's surprise. 

"So, is it to your satisfactory?" He asked. 

Chloe was aghast, Hawkmoth actually prepped her to look like.....a princess. 

He had braided her hair into a lovely bun, made up her face, and after she changed, the man pinned pearls in her braids. 

She looked so stunning that she thought that she would definitely outcome Marinette. 

"It's.....beautiful! Thank you Hawkmoth!" 

"My pleasure. You don't want to be late now" 

"Thank you again, for recusing me and my Daddy" 

The two heroes nodded.

After she left, the two finally de transformed so they could rush back to the party. 

"Ah, Dad! Thank goodness you're back!" Adrien saw them. 

"Me too"

"And look!" He saw Chloe come in, "Chloe, you finally came, you look amazing!" 

"I came in fashionably late Adrien, aren't I fabulous? Hawkmoth did my hair and make up, isn't he absolutely amazing?" 

"Really? He did that? That's awesome!" 

"Hey Chloe" Marinette came over, "You look beautiful"

Chloe almost gawped at Marinette's dress and her stunning hair, "Er, you too, Dupain-Cheng....."

Marinette giggled. 

**"Hello"** Tokyu came in with Nathalie, **"Who is this young lady?"**

**"This is Chloe, the daughter of the mayor, her Father is the owner of the Grand Paris"**

**"Oh....her...."** Tokyu remembered. 

**"Oh it's you, the same man who checked out the hotel and jokingly told me that you we're going to buy the lot......"** Chloe rolled her eyes. 

**"Oh yeah, I remember the shock on your face"** Tokyu laughed. 

**"I'm not kidding! For a second there I thought I was going to lose my apartment!"**

**"An apartment you don't own"**

**"Like I care"**

**"Wait till I master French and become your teacher"**

Adrien held back a snort. 

Chloe was annoyed.  **"Six months, I bet that you won't master French by then"**

**"Oh? And if I win?"**

**"I'll......."** She paused, as she realised what she was doing, she would never let her Hotel get taken by some American stranger,  **"Nothing. I won't bet on anything"**

**"I caught you there didn't I?"** Tokyu said smugly. 

**"Urrrrrgh!"** She puffed and went off. 

Nathalie gave Tokyu a smirk,  **"You're a sly person aren't you?"**

**"And you're very loyal, you are the sort of person that holds themselves to their true love aren't cha?"**

Nathalie blushed,  **"Yes, I do"**

**"Then we're in the same boat"** He took her away, before he whispered to her  **"So we're both virgins eh?"**

**"You're okay with that?"**

**"Of course, there are surely plenty of other virgins in France right?"**

Nathalie smiled at the man, she felt like she could talk about anything with him. 

 

"Good that we got back in time" Tom said to Gabriel. 

"Well, all's well that ends well"

"And you were a hero today. To two other people"

"You too. I'm not taking all of the credit. You were absolutely cute when you ruffled your feathers, you could use that to your advantage by using pin feathers when ruffling"

"That's not a bad idea, thanks. And......I don't know why, but, you look handsome in that suit, that face full of confidence kind of......makes my heart aflutter" 

Tom blushed to himself as Gabriel looked at him with wide eyes. 

"Are you flirting with me?" Gabriel asked. 

Tom looked away, "C'mon let's go and get a drink. A non alcoholic one" 

"You're avoiding my question-"

"I know, so shut up" 

Gabriel gave a chuckle. 

Tom took Gabriel to a drink table and got themselves both a nice ice cold water. 

"Cheers" 

"Cheers" Gabriel smiled. 

"So, if this is Emilie's party........then, is she with us?" Tom asked. 

"Look" Gabriel directed Tom to look in the corner of the place, there was a stand, with a cushion, in which Emilie sat upon. 

"Oh, she is with us. How nice" Tom said. 

 "Oh. I'd like you to meet someone, Chloe's mother" Gabriel noticed Audrey, and brought him over to her. 

"Mrs Bourgeois" He greeted, as she turned to him, he kissed her hand. "Lovely to see you joining us"

"The pleasure is mine. And.....this is....?" She turned to Tom. 

"This is Tom, my latest model for the men's fashion magazine and LGBT line"

"Evening madam" Tom greeted. 

"Ohhhh..... you look much more charming in person" She let Tom kiss her hand, "You work very well along with Gabriel, that is a very rare thing, don't take your talent lightly" 

"Thank you......"

"He and Emilie were a set, he never works with anyone else except for his son. You must be special"

"He is" Gabriel admitted. 

 

 

 

Music started to play and Tom felt like there are alot of other people to meet, other than Gabriel and his family, he could expand his horizons and have fun with other people.

Standing by Gabriel's side, he felt like his status in rank went up, but he felt like a midget too.

"So many people....." He commented.

"Yeah. Things are spicing up now" Gabriel replied, "Ah!" He saw someone, "Alex! Alex!" He called over someone and a brown, curly haired man came over to Gabriel.

"Gabriel, so lovely to see you"

"Likewise, I'd like to introduce you to Tom. My close friend"

"Oh! I saw him in the gentleman's magazine! Hello Tom, you have such a good charm, I look forward to more of your work"

"Thank you Alex......"

Tom definitely felt like a midget now, more like a slightly blushing midget. Because Alex looked like a bright, charming man, with blue eyes and curly hair, not too curly, the ends of his hair had slight curls.

"Tom, this is Alex, he is the vice President of my company"

"Really?"

"We don't see each other much. We both work separately, but Skype calls are enough"

"We speak the same language"

"You measure weird body parts too?"

Gabriel gave off a nervous laugh.

"Ah I do but I like to be polite and ask first"

Tom gave Gabriel a side glance but Gabriel ignored it.

"He asked me really crude questions on his first day of work......" Gabriel started.

"Really? What?"

"I asked Gabriel whether if penis size affects the normal size measurements of our pants we make"

"Ha!" Tom barked a laugh and sniggered. He almost snorted water out of his nose.

"I asked because at the time Gabriel seemed big and I wanted to know. It seemed as if he was wearing Victorian clothes because they used to wear a penis harness on the outside of what they wear to show off their status"

Tom bawled because it was hilarious, he was laughing so hard.

But Gabriel wasn't amused.

"If I weren't as cold then I would have fired you on the spot"

"I'll never know why you kept me" Alex gave his boss a sly smile and winked.

"I'm not exactly innocent" Alex said to Tom who hasn't finished laughing.

"So, you work for Gabriel?"

"Oh no, not exactly, I help along, I already have a job as a keyboard player for Jagged Stones department"

"Oh? That's very interesting"

"He has a very lovely voice" Gabriel added.

"Really? Could you do a sentence?"

"Ah er, well......what language would you like?"

"It doesn't matter, just sing out a bit, whatever you like"

"Okay"

He came up with something, took a breath and started singing. 

 

いつも僕の子供が

お世話になっているようで

聴いてくれたあなた方に

感謝、感謝。

このご恩を一生で忘れないうちに

内に秘めた想いとともに

歌にしてみました。

愛言葉は、”愛が10=ありがとう”

僕とか君とか恋とか愛とか

好きとか嫌いとか、また歌うね。

今君が好きで てか君が好きで

むしろ君が好きで

こんなバカな僕を

君は好きで 愛してくれて

こんな歌聴いて

泣いてくれてありがとう

 

Tom ended up singing a full bridge but they all enjoyed it.

"Catchy!" Alex said, and gave a clap.

"Thank you......"

"Oh, my" He looked at the dancing crowd as if he forgot something "Tom, would you mind, if I could steal your first dance?"

Tom looked at him in surprise and looked at Gabriel who didn't mind and guested for him to go ahead.

He was confused, he was letting him go....?

"Sure. I'd love to dance with you" He put his glass of water down and joined Alex.

Gabriel sighed as he watched him go, it was kind of tempting to turn Alex down, but it was Tom's decision to decide. He didn't want to purposely try and sweep him off his feet, he wanted to be himself because he wanted Tom to only see him and not anything else. But who he dates is what his heart decides.

"Hey Dad" Adrien came over.

"Hey son" Gabriel replied as he turned to his son and his eyes drifted back to Tom.

After a while, he decided to give his son a hint.

"Adrien. What do you feel about someone else in my life other than your Mother?"

"I....." Adrien looked at Tom and sighed before looking back at his Dad, "Honestly, I'm not ready for you to start dating again"

"Why?"

"I'm.....I still miss Mum and......no one can replace her, I just hate the fact that she's not here and it feels so unfair....."

"Adrien. I'm aware that no one can ever can replace her. She was the person who raised you, you can't replace that"

"I do want you to be happy but.....I'm not ready for that yet"

"I understand. I don't want to date anyone without your say in it, until you feel like you can step forward, let me know"

Adrien smiled with assurrance, "Thanks Dad. I'll tell you when my heart is ready"

Gabriel gave him a slight smile and nodded.

"At least that you're not sleeping with him like the other day right?"

Gabriel felt his heart take a stop and he suddenly felt like as if he had to start hiding his feelings. So it made sense to lie to him. As Adrien gave him a look that said 'You better not be', he took in a breath and said, "Yeah. We do actually, and depending on what Tom wants, he can decide on whether if he wants to continue to do so. I don't expect him to, not after telling him how I feel about him" Adrien sighed disappointingly at him, "I'm sorry I just........I don't want him to feel alone"

Adrien hummed, "Okay, I guess I'll have to trust you"

As Adrien joined Marinette to dance, He let out a frustrated sigh.

 

Meanwhile Tom took a peek at Gabriel as he was talking to Adrien.

_"Why didn't he turn Alex down? I thought he liked me. So if he does, he would hold tight and try and get my attention"_ he sighed to himself, _"Maybe.....maybe he is giving me a choice. I mean.......every night, I join him, and sleep in the same bed with him. Snuggled up like a couple, as if......I'm using him as comfort, nothing else. Am I really going to go and do that all over again? What do I really feel about him? Do I really have to depend on him all the time just for my own self pity? I don't have to sleep in his bed just because I'm sad. Sooner or later I will be in someone else's bed and he'll be in his own, I don't have to depend on him forever"_

"Hey" Alex said softly, "What's on your mind?"

"Ah!" His head went out of the clouds, "Sorry, I'm just thinking"

"Thinking? You're looking at Gabriel quite in a bit of worry"

"Oh right........well, sorry"

"No need. You're a good dancer, you're very graceful in your steps"

"Thanks, my ex fiance taught me this dance"

"Your.....fiance?" Alex looked surprised.

"Yeah, erm, he was.....murdered"

"Dear lord, I'm so sorry"

"9/11, I think you'll know how it is. Plane crashed, he's gone and you'll never get to see him again"

"Bloody hell. You don't deserve that, how old are you? 30?"

"34"

"You have a whole life ahead of you man. Don't take it for granted, I mean, I wasted my life studying all the time and getting a job, before you know it, you have no friends or a wife to spend your life with"

"Oh. Well, I hope you'll find someone to share it with"

"Thank you. So, back on topic, what's on your mind?"

Tom sighed, "Well, someone likes me"

"Oh. I won't ask who, keep going"

"We've........been together for a long time since I lost my fiancee, and I depend on him a lot, I'm just thinking if......is it okay if he is the one? Or isn't? Is it okay to sleep with the guy for other reasons rather than love?"

"Does he let you sleep with him? No matter the reason?"

"Yes......"

"Then he has good respect for you, he lets you in because he loves you and gives you that love for you to heal"

"But he didn't even like me in the beginning of sleeping together"

"Trust me, if I study enough, love starts way way back before you even know it. It's like a planted seed, but until that flower grows and blooms do you realise how in love you actually are"

Tom gaped. "Really?"

"Trust me Tom, if you didn't love him, you wouldn't even sleep with him at all. Friends give each other support, it's not really cuddles and sleeping with one another"

"Oh......yeah......"

Alex kissed him on the forehead. And Tom jumped back, "Aaahhh!!"

"See? You're not pleased are you?"

"Definitely not!" He rubbed his forehead.

"So. Does that clear some things?"

Tom took a moment and looked at Gabriel who looked like he was holding back his anger. He must have seen the kiss.

"Yeah"

"Go after him. I won't say anything"

Tom, giving him a small thanks, went back to Gabriel.

What was that?" Gabriel asked.

"Only something gross. Ew" Tom rubbed his forehead. "You're much more softer than Alex. Can you please kiss it?"

Gabriel blushed and went ahead.

"Ah that's better. We have a better connection together, so it feels so much nicer"

That brought a smile to Gabriel's face.

But then, Tom's eyes flickered to someone, and he suddenly went up on his toes a bit higher. 

"What is it?" Gabriel asked. 

"No way....." Tom gasped, "It....is it?"

"Who are you looking at?" Gabriel looked in the direction of Tom's line of sight, before suddenly the man went running after whoever he spotted. 

Gabriel followed and eventually Tom went up to someone around his age, Gabriel recognised him as Abel, one of his trade partners. But he goes up to New York for business trips. 

Tom quickly tapped him on the shoulder and the blonde haired, soft blue eyed man turned around to face him. 

**"Abel!! It's me! Manhattan Accountants, Luke, Jake, Tom, Minner, Duke, Hatter, and darn old man Dimmer, all round the World Trade Center South Tower floor eighty two!!!** "

**"OH MY GOD TOM!!"** Abel's eyes went wide as saucers and they went into a big crushing hug. 

Their laughter filled the room along with the loud chatter that was going on. 

"Oh man! How are you?! I haven't seen you since you worked with us!!" Tom asked. 

"Wow! You have great French! I'm great! This is such a surprise, what's going on? How is everyone?!" 

As Tom smiled at the communication, his eyes adverted him at that question. 

"Tom......? Did you guys survive 9/11?" 

Tom pressed his lips together and realised that......... and even if he only worked with them for a month, Abel was part of the pack as well. It brought him relief that he wasn't the only one that lost his family. 

"I'm the only one that survived" Tom admitted sadly. 

 Abel gave Tom this, calm, knowing, but sad smile. 

"I figured since I saw it on the news. I couldn't be sure but when I saw that plane crash into your offices......I instantly thought you guys were dead, so when I tried calling your office number, it was not valid anymore. So yet that I had a few months of distress........I was able to accept that it could have been anybody. But that day lingers in my heart for the fact that you guys passed......at least neither of you suffered. But.....you're alive! That's crazy! It's like you popped out of heaven or something"

Tom smiled. 

"What about Jake? Your best pal?"

"He's gone too"

"Oh man.......you guys were inseparable. You must be crushed"

"I was.......very much so, but it's been getting better since I've been coming out of my shell"

"That's great"

Gabriel smiled, and Abel noticed, "Ah, Mr Agreste"

"You know Gabriel?" Tom asked. 

"I work with him at some point" Abel said as Gabriel stepped into the conversation, "I'm surprised that you even know each other"

"We met at the day of the attack, and we found each other a while ago" Gabriel explained. 

"How nice...."

They had a wonderful reunion through conversations, and soon Tom and Abel exchanged numbers, before he got introduced to the rest of Gabriel's co workers. 

He didn't feel like a midget anymore, he felt like more a part of Gabriel's life. 

"Would you like to dance with me?" Tom asked.

"I love to dance with you"

They looked at each other, and as Gabriel offered his hand, Tom put his hand on his before being taken away into the dancing crowd.

Dancing with Gabriel Agreste felt so right that soon as the music started going slow, Tom willingly put his arms around Gabriel and Gabriel did the same as he put his hands on Tom's hips.

_"Maybe the best way is to follow my heart, and I'll know the answers"_ Tom thought.

"Don't force yourself okay?" Gabriel said.

"It's alright Gabriel, I'm just following my heart"

"Then I'll restrain myself from the things I want to do with you. Besides, Adrien told me that he isn't ready for me to date yet"

"I don't expect him to, he lost his mother a week ago. But......" He looked at Adrien who was dancing with Marinette, the teen gave off a worried look towards them but then Marinette got his attention back.

"Hey"

Gabriel looked at Tom.

"Thanks for telling me all that this morning. Thanks to today, I can see more of the road that we can take. I want to......give us a chance"

"A trial?"

"More or less. But on the lay low because of Adrien"

Gabriel smiled.

"I'm not completely clear on how I feel about you, but I want to follow my heart because I'm pretty sure that I like you more than I think"

Gabriel nodded, "I understand, take as much time as you want"

"Thank you"

The rest of the night went along swiftly. Dinner was full of shared good times including speeches that stretches along enough for some people to struggle to keep awake, they had a very satisfying night dancing and drinking before they all went home late.

"Goodnight Adrien" Gabriel gave his son a kiss on the forehead.

"Goodnight Dad" Adrien gave him a hug before he left to his room with a tired Plagg.

It had been a big and long day, so when Gabriel went back to his bedroom, he prepared the spa to ease his nerves. 

"I'm going in the spa" he told Tom. 

"Okay" Tom replied from the bedroom. 

Gabriel didn't know why that even after knowing his crush, Tom insists to keep sleeping with him. 

_"Oh well...."_

 He started taking his clothes off, put them away and stepped inside the spa. 

"Haaaa......that's better" he sank down into the water and relaxed in the corner where he sat, the water just below his chin. 

Soon, he suddenly felt something start to fizz in the water. When he looked up, there was Tom, stark naked as he just threw a bath bomb in. "Hey" He said. 

"Ah!" Gabriel almost jumped, "Sorry-"

"Pay no mind, we've already seen each other"

Gabriel quietly gulped before Tom came into the water and sat next to him. "Wow it feels nice!"

Gabriel sniffed the bomb, "Citrus?"

"Yeah, I like smelling like oranges. You mind?"

"No, not at all" 

"I must say, you have a lovely singing voice, how did you learn how to sing?"

"Emilie was an actress, she taught me things, but I kind of get all of that from myself"

"Wow"

"You have a powerful voice, your soul resembles with it. Anyone can fall in love with it"

"That's what Jagged said, when I had my interview with him, I had to pass by singing a song, when he was satisfied, I got hired. He told me that it was one of the most passionate voices he heard"

"I'm not surprised. Did you sing much before we met?"

"A lot, with Jake, it communicated a lot of love between us. We didn't have a radio, so we shared things with a small cassette player" 

"Anything in particular?"

"Do you like Queen?"

"I listen to their songs quite a bit"

"Aaah, good taste! What others?"

"Beatles.....Elvis....."

"Ahahaha......I kind of expected that from you" 

"Hey!"

"Don't get me wrong, they're good artists"

"I didn't think that we would get any good chemistry from music"

"I was surprised that you knew what I mixed around this morning, you knew the Happy feet movie?"

"Erm, I don't. I just went along with it and made it all up"

"You did not! Come on, you gotta know that movie, I'll get you to watch it sometime" 

Gabriel chuckled, "Okay. I look forward to it"

"Well......you know, I haven't had such fun singing in a long time. It was "You are my sunshine" along with a lot of other sad songs for too long"

Gabriel frowned. 

As Tom frowned as well, he looked at Gabriel, and scooted right up to snuggle with him.

"Gabriel, if you really have a crush on me......"

"I do" Gabriel said. 

"Then if that's the case, then I have no reason to keep myself back from loving you back"

"Huh?"

"I attempted to try and sleep in my own bed tonight. But, my heart felt betrayed, I want to sleep with you because I love you. You are my sunshine now, but you have to be aware, that if you really want to do this, you have to be all in a serious relationship. Because honestly........I don't think I can take another heartbreak" 

"The last thing I want to do is break your heart Tom. I want to be........everything to you" 

"Then......we'll see how we go for now. Can.........can I still get cuddles?"

"Of course you can" 

Nooroo and Duusuu smiled as they watched their wielders hug and eventually cuddle together. 

"Do you really want to go for it Tommy?" Duusuu asked. 

"Yeah. At least I know, that I don't want to be apart from Gabriel, sleeping with him for the reason that I can't sleep without anyone isn't the reason anymore, it's that........I love him and I want to be with him"

Nooroo smiled softly at him. 

 

Once it was time for bed, Tom brought in his own blankets and splayed them over the doona covers before crawling in next to Gabriel. 

"Guess what?"

"What?" 

"I found that there is a building in Spain, Madrid, and it's called the Torre Picasso. The first thing I realised is that it was made by the same architect that made the twin towers"

"Really?"

"Yeah, Minoru Yamasaki made lots of other buildings around the world, the one in Spain in particular looks just like the world trade center"

Tom gasped in awe. 

"It is only forty three floors tall, and I realised that.......even if something gets taken away, love always takes it's place and begins anew"

"Maybe......you're right. Despite of what I may have lost, I can still find love again"

"That's the spirit, though, it doesn't have to be me. I want you to find love for yourself"

Tom smiled sadly, "If I did, would you miss me?"

"Very much"

"I'd miss you too"

 After a bit of silence, Tom placed his head on Gabriel's chest, like always. 

"Why do you rest on my chest?" Gabriel asked. 

"Because.........this way I can hear your heartbeat, it's calming"

Gabriel breathed, before he pulled the covers over them, and tucked in Tom. 

 

So far so good.  


	32. Day 56

 

Tom had been observing Gabriel lately, he had been so far, very very normal. Like his confession never happened, it was really really weird. But his every touch was monitored, as if Gabriel saw Tom's personal space and kept away from it.

_"Is he trying to keep himself back or something.....?"_ He thought.  

He watched as Gabriel kept on tapping on his keyboard as he worked. 

_"Maybe......nah......"_

"Excuse me for a moment Tom, I know you just came into my office but this will be quick" Gabriel said. 

"Sure, no problem" 

Gabriel hurriedly got up from his desk and walked off. 

_"Erm.....?"_

He shrugged it off easily,  _"Well, no matter"_

But the man soon was taking a while. He could be in the bathroom but what's taking him so long? 

_"He didn't get kidnapped again did he?"_ He thought, before he looked at Duusuu beside him. 

"Stay here, I'm gonna look for him. Before I find him in trouble"

"Sure, I'll keep watch. If you don't come back, I'll tell Nathalie"

"Thanks. I'll make sure to drag his ass back'

He nodded to the kwami before he walked in Gabriel's path in which he went, and it ended up in the normal bedroom hall of Gabriel's private quarters. So he figured that he must be in the bathroom. 

_"He's not having a heart attack or something is he?"_

He went into the bedroom, then stepped into the bathroom and-

He froze.

Gabriel was inside, in the middle of masturbating, and once he realised that Tom caught him in the act he instantly grabbed a towel to cover his modesty. He still had his shirt on, and his pants were down to his ankles, the man blushed a fiery red that grew right to his ears. 

Tom gasped, which almost turned into a laugh as he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

“Tom- I didn’t think- that you- I THOUGHT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE WAITING FOR ME!!!” he freaked.

“You were taking a bit long......” Tom said with his eyes wide in surprise. “Wait…..”

He then realised something, “Were you thinking about me?” he smirked.

Gabriel then looked like he was in deep shit.

“Urrrrrrrrrr…….” He struggled to come up with an explanation.

“Thank god for you I’m Japanese, don’t freak out, it’s perfectly natural to me so drop the towel, I’m cool with it”

Gabriel's eyes widened as he tried to register what he just said and he seemed unsure on how to go about it.

“You’re okay in seeing me exposed like this….?”

Tom blushed a little, “Yeah but, I do have to admit, this is an odd time to find you like this, my heart is beating a little fast”

They stared at each other for a while.

“Are you finding it easier to do it now?” He asked.

“Well, for once it is. But I haven’t even come yet”

“Oh, in that case, keep going, I don’t want to keep you back”

Gabriel hadn’t finished blushing.

Tom just smiled and walked out, leaving Gabriel in a blushing mess. 

 

Once he got back to Duusuu he just looked at the kwami and he couldn't take it anymore, it was so funny to have caught him in the act that he just started laughing. 

"Did you find him?" Duusuu asked. 

"Oh yeah! I did!" He laughed, "Oh god! You wouldn't believe how I found it, it was sooooo funny!"

"What happened?"

"I'm not telling you, cause then his pride would shrivel" He snorted. 

"Fair enough"

 

Gabriel was so embarrassed when he came back out of the bathroom when he was done, he felt like crawling into a hole.

"Did you like your me time?" Tom teased. 

"I'm so sorry about that Tom....."

"No, no need to be ashamed about it. Next time, just be clear that you need time to yourself. If you need any help, you can ask me"

"Really?"

Tom was beginning to have assumptions. "Was Emilie Catholic?"

"She grew up catholic"

"Aaah, in that case, what's a blowjob?"

Gabriel frowned, "I.....don't...."

"Then what is sex for?"

"Making children...?"

Tom sighed, "Oh gosh. No wonder you didn't give me a hint on what you were doing, you kept it to yourself"

"Am I missing something?"

"What you're missing is sex education, and a lot of fun, plus the world isn't black and white anymore, it's colorful now"

"And it has a bunch of rainbows" Gabriel admitted as he looked at the man in front of him. 

Tom blushed as he figured that he was referring to him, "Er, yeah. You know what, we spent so much time watching each other that there isn't much time spent together"

"What do you mean?"

"Let yourself loose, if you have something to say from your heart, say it. If you have a crush on me, I'd like to hear what you like about me. Come on, let's go, we're going out for lunch"

"Now??"

"Now. Come on" Tom tugged on his sleeve, "Drop everything, let's go"

Gabriel looked at his computer but figured that he can, "Okay. Let's go, erm....lead the way?" 

"Gabriel. What do you like?" 

That surprised him because he always thought that the lady would take the way, but then again he wasn't exactly a woman. 

"Salads, noodles...."

"Do you have a favorite restaurant?" 

"Well......the Grand Paris"

"The place where we had Emilie's celebration?"

"That place"

"Wonderful, let's go"

Gabriel was surprised about the fact that Tom made the first move, but then again, he didn't make the first move on Emilie. He and Emilie just happened, so he followed on. 

They got to the car and he found himself in the drivers seat. 

"I'm driving?" He realised before he looked at Tom, "Can't you drive?"

"Yeah but, I don't have a license. I don't drive" he said sheepishly. 

"Why don't you drive?"

"I'm used to taking the bus. New York always has traffic so I never bothered"

"Oh......well, I'll take you then" he started the car and they departed from the mansion. 

 

"Er, I just realised that I'm in perfectly normal clothes" Tom said once they arrived. 

Gabriel hummed before he took his blazer, tie and waistcoat off and undid his top button. "Now we're even"

"Are you okay with this? Will you guys be able to fit the formal rules?" Nooroo asked. 

"If we can't then bad luck for them, the mayor will be very disappointed to hear how I was kicked out"

"The upsides of being famous. Let's go" Tom chuckled. 

They got out the car and entered the hotel without any worries, and they got seated as the waiters recognised Gabriel and let him in regardless of the dress code. 

"Well what do you know, it worked!" Tom said. 

"If I wasn't famous otherwise then it would have been their loss to have lost good customers"

Tom agreed with a laugh, "I used to have to sneak in the back of the cinemas"

"What?" 

"That's when I was a kid, because my parents told me that they were brainwashing. Tokyu helped me"

"Well you learned from the best it seems"

"Ha yeah, if guards couldn't see me, smoke couldn't either"

Gabriel went a little silent.

"Did it?" 

"No, I got out of there as fast as I could. It was upsetting to watch it all from a distance"

"It is, I did that too"

Tom hummed softly. 

"Hey Tom. There has been something I have been meaning to tell you......" He said as waiters gave them their menus.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry if you felt like........I ditched you at that time. I thought I lost you"

 Tom looked at him with surprise. 

"Did you look for me?" 

"I wish I could. I was so taken aback by the collapse, I actually escaped via ferry after I saw the collapse to get away from the debris. I just watched and for the first time of my life, I openly screamed out for Jake. I was scared, so so scared, I desperately wanted to hold onto someone, so you came into my mind. For a long time, you are the one who actually kept me sane"

"When I found that Jake was gone forever, I made the decision on the spot to leave. Because you were French, the best place to find you was there"

"You were looking for me......for seventeen years?" 

"Yeah. Well, funny, I just realised all that, because the burden was always on my shoulders. I thought of killing myself so many times"

"What held you back?"

"I would tell myself.......to keep searching for you. You wouldn't belive how happy I was to see you again in that tower, I dreaded that the same thing would happen again, but you.....you came! And this time I wasn't going to let go, and I'm glad I held on"

Gabriel smiled softly. 

"I'm glad that I got a hold of you too, because I don't want to leave you hanging. To think that I left you like that.......it's heartbreaking. I'm sorry" 

"No, I'm glad I have you now" Tom put his hand on Gabriel's and they smiled at each other. 

They then took a breath, "Would you like some iced coffee? I understand that's your favorite drink"

"Americano coffee, you like mocca?" 

"Everyone has a sweet tooth at some point"

Tom smiled. 

"Would you like a garden salad with tuna?" Gabriel asked. 

"Did you just read my stomach?"

Gabriel laughed, "I just guessed!" 

They made their orders and got comfortable with each other before their coffee came in, Tom took a sip of his along with Gabriel. 

"Oooh, this is nice" Tom said. 

"Can I have a taste?"

"Sure, if you let me taste yours" 

They swapped their coffee. 

"Oh. Gosh, yum!" Tom said after he took a sip. 

"Ugh" Gabriel had a bad reaction. 

"What?"

"Strong. It went straight up my tongue" He shuddered from the taste. 

"Ha" 

They swapped their coffees back and Gabriel took a sip of his mocca, "Ah, better"

Tom giggled. "Too much for you?"

"I can never get used to American coffee" 

"That's understandable. American coffee is bad, but French made is much better" 

"Agreed" 

 

 

"Question" Tom started.

"Yes?"

"Did you get your ash blonde hair from your parents?"

"My Mother"

"Wow. Reminds me of Adrien"

That took Gabriel aback by surprise, "Yes. Indeed it is"

_"How didn't I notice that? Maybe my Father had the same struggles as me. At some point, watching Adrien used to spark upset in my heart because he looks just like her......wow. How on earth did he cope? He never remarried so......it must had been hard for him"_

"That makes methink about how on earth my Father handled me without my Mother......"

"Why so?"

"My Mother died giving birth to me. So I never knew her"

"Oh............" That was a big surprise to Tom, "How did you go on with life?"

"My Father was never around, we were poor. So he worked all the time, it was only because of me when he could finally stop working. I have him a house and retirement with enough money to live off for the rest of his life. He was so thankful"

"Wow. That's so nice of you Gabriel, no wonder he has great respect for you"

"Yeah. He paid for every tuition, so I was raised with carers, books and not many friends, though it made who I am today"

"That explains a lot"

"What lot?" 

"You missing your social cues and communication, that's why Adrien never learned any growing up, he grew up alone with not many friends. Like you. Plus, you don't even know any sex education"

Gabriel's eyebrows lit up in half shock, half surprise, "People......study......sex???" 

"It's important to know and understand it"

"Why?"

"Sexually transmitted diseases popped up commonly after the eighties. You have to know how to avoid them and be able to know how to spot the, also how to protect yourself"

"I know them but is it a big deal? I was just told to go get checked after if something goes off track"

"It is"

Gabriel hummed, "Well, you are right, I am clueless. I am a business person with the right IQ, but not the EQ, could you teach me?"

"Of course, I'll teach you everything you need to know, not just STI's"

"Thank you"

"Do you really know so little? How many do you know?"

"Errr......."

Tom took in a breath, "Wow. I actually fear for myself"

_"I better get up on this soon......"_ Gabriel held his breath. 

"So, why haven't you tried making a move?"

"Well.......I don't want to disrupt our relationship"

"No. Of course, not, let your heart sing, I won't be taken so easily but I want you to try and show me how much you really like me"

"Alright, I will take you up on that" Gabriel smiled and gave him a wink. 

Tom winked back.

 

 

Adrien lately had been feeling upside down about Gabriel's crush on Tom, he felt a little betrayed on how he would have a crush on someone so fast. 

But he supported them anyway, he didn't want to be negative and make his Dad unhappy. 

Once he got home from school, he was surprised by Tom at the door greeting him first. 

"Hey Adrien, I have a present for you......" Tom approached him with his hands behind his back. 

"What is it?" Adrien asked, wondering if Tom is trying to win him over. 

"Tadaaa!" Tom pulled out five tickets, "Backstage tickets to Jagged Stones next concert!" 

"OH?!" Adrien piped up in surprise. 

"Were having a concert soon and he started giving those out, so you can invite Marinette and a few friends! I'm going to be on stage anyway so you can have em"

Adrien beamed happily as Tom gave them to him. 

"Oh my god SERIOUSLY?!" 

"Seriously, so you can spend your next Friday night with a bang. We have a food table setup afterwards in the back to have dinner at, so you can spend some time with the whole crew!" 

Adrien felt like it was a dream come true, and he had to admit that Tom officially became a cool person to have as a parent. He wanted to call everyone up right away. 

"Thank you Tom! This is the best thing ever! You're the greatest!" 

Tom smiled wide at the boys reaction. 

"But is Dad coming?" 

"Oh I gave him a ticket as well, he isn't keen on Jagged's music but he'll be there" 

"To watch you I suppose" Adrien assumed.

"Er" Tom blushed a bit, "Maybe, but he didn't say. He's polite with me on his little crush, he doesn't want it to disrupt on our normal course of life" 

"I admit that if he started openly oogling you and did some weird stuff, I'd have to stay in my room more to avoid it all" 

Tom chuckled, "Thank god for that then" 

"But I'll brace myself for it when it does happen. I've never seen him with his head in the clouds so much before. He's always looking at you, he feels warm when he does that" 

"He does?" 

"Yeah. Where is he? I'm gonna put the tickets in my room and go and greet him"

"I'll see you, he's in the lounge room"

"Again, thank you so much Tom" Adrien gave him a hug before going in his room. 

"Nice to see you too" Plagg said before Adrien looked at him and smiled. 

"Here Plagg. I bought this for you" He presented him a big double brie Camembert wheel, "Would you like it melted for tonight"

"Oh do I?!!?!"

"If you be a good boy and don't wreck the toilet paper this afternoon"

Plagg harrumphed, but went along with it, "Deal"

 

Tom went back to Gabriel, and when he found him he was reading on his tablet. 

"What are you reading?"

"Well.....ya know, catching up"

Tom sat next to him and found that he was reading about sex positions. 

"Erm......nice start...."

He found Nooroo eating grapes at the coffee table trying to pretend that he wasn't seeing or hearing anything of the sort. 

"I can't believe that there are so many....."

"Look Gabriel. I know you would like to learn the sexual side of a relationship but, you don't have to force yourself"

"Yeah but.......I'd like to try them. At least, when I'm still young"

"Well...yeah, you're still young" 

Tom looked away and blushed. 

"Do you like them?"

"Yeah but......I'd like to to do as my heart guides me. Like....my body moves as my heart does"

Gabriel looked away from the tablet to Tom, "How?"

"Like for example.......you know, when you sew, you just know what to do by your gut feeling?"

"Yeah"

"Like that. When you come to it, you'll know what you and what your partner wants"

Gabriel hummed and he thought for a bit. "Then, I don't need to know about sex positions" he turned off his tablet and put it away. 

"Why not?'

"Because you're right. I think that anything we do, we do together and we will enjoy it either way"

"Then you don't want to know what I like?"

Gabriel's eyes widened in interest, "Well, I'd like you to tell me when the time comes" 

Tom smiled softly at him. 

"If there ever will be a time. I never thought of sex in more detail before because.......well, I focus more on spending time with the person I love rather than do stuff in bed"

Tom's smile became wide as his words touched his heart. 

"Me too"

"Do you get frisky though?"

"Yes. Yes I do"

"Then......I would have to ask myself if I am attracted to you mentally and sexually"

Tom rose an eye, "And are you?"

"Well.....I always thought that you have a beautiful and natural body"

Tom blushed, "Gabriel......" 

"You're soft, cuddly, warm and.......always a pleasure to have time with" 

That made Tom very happy inside, "Thanks.......you too. And......you're handsome to me"

Gabriel smiled. 

"And.....I've already told you how special you are to me" 

"In New York, I remember. As did I" 

They stared, smiling at each other. Before Tom broke the silence. 

"Well. There are some techniques you can learn, but I think I'd leave the teaching for later. Diseases can be read. So far, I think that even if you don't know much, you do know how by heart"

Gabriel nodded, agreeing, "Yeah, I'll just have to follow my heart. And more"

Another moment of staring was met before Gabriel pecked a kiss on his forehead. 

"We've got nothing to worry about"

"Yeah" Tom nodded. 

 

Tom felt safe and light with Gabriel next to him, he didn't know why, but he noticed that he was gaining affection for this man. 

_"I'm getting in trouble......"_

 "Where is Adrien?" Gabriel then asked. 

 

So Tom walked over to Adrien's room to check on him, and suddenly he heard crying by the door. For a moment he felt as it seemed that Adrien was missing his mother. So he came in quietly to find him sitting down on the opposite side by his bed with his arms resting on his knees as he cried. Plagg was floating beside him trying to give comfort. 

He seemed so sad, his eyes were looking out the window before he spotted Tom at the door. 

"Adrien" Tom said. 

"Oh. It's you" Adrien's voice cracked, "Thank goodness it's just you"

Tom came over and kneeled down next to him, "Why?"

"Because I don't want my Dad to worry" he sniffed, "He's focused on you"

"Oh Adrien, you're important to him. If there is something wrong, he's gonna drop me until you're smiling again" 

Adrien looked down. 

"Besides, you have me too"

Adrien looked up to him again, and smiled softly, "Yeah. Cause you understand the pain of losing someone more than anyone else"

Tom agreed silently, "Do you need any company?" 

The boy thought for a while before nodding, "A hug?"

"Here......" Tom sat down and let Adrien hug him, he stroked his head and Duusuu came out to cuddle his cheek. Plagg looked uncomfortable as he wasn't used to the situation, but offered his cheese anyway. 

"Thank you Plagg" Adrien smiled as he received the cheese. 

"I wish I could visit Mum like Dad can" He said, "I saw her before because of what I have but.....she hasn't appeared" 

"Adrien, I don't think that's healthy. The more you see her, the more the hurt will drag on"

"Really?"

"You can have catch ups, but.....don't do it frequently, it'll take a toll on you in the long term"

"Okay. You're the expert, no wonder Dad went on with life, he had already done it being Hawkmoth"

Tom hummed a yes. 

"Hey Adrien"

"Yeah?"

"Even if he has a crush on me, he will always love Emilie"

"Really? How do you know?"

"Because I still love Jake, always have and always will. I just respect that.....his heart once had someone else as do I"

"Does.......does it get better?"

"If you have hope, and you believe that it will, then it will"

Adrien gave a little genuine smile. "LIke......I believe that I'll be very happy with Marinette"

"That's the spirit"

"Actually......I'm more than happy with her, and.....I know that in my heart, that when I have kids of my own, I'll treasure them as much as my Mum did"

Tom smiled. 

"And......that I have more people in my life now"

"You mean......"

"You already make an awesome parent"

"Really?"

"Really and truly. One, you're an amazing cook, two, great cuddles, three, you're honest in the best ways, four, you're very nice and considerate, five, when I don't see something, you point it out, five, well, there are so many good qualities that you have and I feel so lucky"

Tom looked at him in surprise. 

"Even if you aren't my Mother, I really hope that you and Dad will became a great pair someday" 

Tom hummed, "Even if things don't work out, I want to be your friend"

Adrien smiled, "Yeah. Can I have another hug?"

"Of course you can have another hug" Tom leaned in and hugged him. 

Tom could feel that, after a while, Adrien calmed down. 

 

"So, please tell me how you and Dad are getting along" Adrien said as he got out Tom's hold. 

Tom remembered the very morning and started giggling. 

"What?" Adrien was interested, "What happened?"

"Teehee, you wouldn't believe it, I caught your Dad in a pickle this morning"

"What kind of pickle?"

"I shouldn't really tell......" 

"Tell me!" Plagg was interested as well, "I'll keep it a secret, for double cheese!" 

"No. I really shouldn't, it's not for me to tell"

"Aww, party pooper"

"But I think he's right" Adrien said, "You shouldn't say anything if it's wrong"

"Thanks Adrien, for not pushing me"

 

 

They met Gabriel in the lounge room again reading a different mysterious book, once the man saw him, he turned off his tablet. 

"Adrien. How was school?" 

"Fine" Adrien said, "Normal routine, Tom gave me the tickets"

"Ah, he received them yesterday, I was very happy that you were able to obtain the opportunity to have some fun, especially with your good school report"

"Now that you're coming too, we're gonna have a blast!" 

"A good reward to our work so far. Tom has become a great hit, you are reviewed very well" 

"Ah really? I'm glad that I could help, even if you're giving me something, you are also giving me a chance to repay for what you have done for me as well"

Gabriel smiled. 

"So Adrien, do you have any homework?"

"Nope! All done in my free period"

 

"Well, good. That means that we can have dinner early in time before our patrol tonight"

"Can I help you cook Tom?" Adrien asked.  

"Sure. Thank you"

"How nice of you Adrien" Gabriel said. 

"I'll go ahead of you" Adrien said and left.

 They watched him leave. 

"You didn't tell him or Plagg anything did you?"

"No. Neither Nooroo or Duusuu, I wouldn't like to hurt your ego"

Gabriel scoffed, "My ego isn't big"

"Yet"

Gabriel saw the humor and grinned. 

"I better make dinner, Adrien will be waiting for me"

"I'll get the table set"

 

 

"Tom, can I ask you a question?" Adrien asked during their cooking. 

"Sure"

"If Dad didn't rescue you, what would you have done?" 

Tom was a little taken aback from that question but he gave it some thought. "Well.....if I got out of that rubble I was in and found Jake.....I would have stayed with him or jumped. Because you know.....when you lose someone you lose sight of everything else, when Jake died, it seemed as if there was no one else in the world left for me. There was no bright light in my life anymore. But if I didn't get out I would have died either way"

"So......why did you live?"

"What?" 

"Why did you keep going?"

_"Wait what.....? I have never thought about that........so why did I? When Gabriel saved me, it was as if I wanted to help him, as he helped me. When Jake died my purpose for living died out instantly, my heart broke into a million pieces. For a moment I wanted to join him, and I went ahead with him as if.......as if...."_

He then realised something. 

_"As if a new light appeared, to tell me that I wasn't ready to die. And......I even chased after it, without knowing I had been chasing after it......chasing him........"_

_"Chasing........chasing Gabriel"_ he softened,  _"As if, he was my new reason. He's my reason I'm here today, my light to live......."_

He smiled to himself with the realisation.  

"What's wrong?" Adrien asked. 

"Nothing I just.........realised something" 

He remembered the warmth of Gabriel's hand.

"And what is that?"

"I love your Dad. He's my reason I'm here, and.........I'm gonna live, not just for myself and Jake, but also for him, and you" 

Adrien was surprised at that answer, and smiled, "Then......go after him. If you truly love him, keep him close to your heart"

"Thank you....."

 

 Tom was hoping that Gabriel didn't notice his rosy cheeks during dinner, he got glances from Nathalie but he knew that she wouldn't speak a word. 

 

"Aaaalright!" Ladybug said as everyone arrived at their patrol spot. 

And everyone was there. 

Queen Bee and Carapace were giving Hawkmoth and Le Paon glances. 

"We have today our newest members of our group, Hawkmoth, and Le Paon his close friend" Chat Noir introduced the obvious. 

"Yeah" Carapace said silently. 

"Why the hell does Le Paon look prettier than me??" Queen Bee asked, "He's male, is that even legal?"

Hawkmoth held back a snort. 

"Don't you dare patronize me" 

"I'm sorry but, you are right, Le Paon is gorgeous"

Paon blushed. 

"But I would prefer that you would hold the title of the most beautiful of them all"

"Oh! Why thank you!" Chloe was surprised by his praise. 

Carapace found that weird as he cringed. 

"But Paon has the brightest spirit, that's why I love him so much"

"So, do two know each other?" Carapace asked. 

"Yeah. Hawkmoth saved my civilian life long ago, he's my hero"

"That's......interesting" Rena said, "I love your tail feathers" 

"Thank you! I like your ears as well, they're so cute, I could squish them for ages!" 

Rena giggled, "Well it's nice to meet you!"

"You too, everyone, for the warm welcome. I know Hawkmoth wasn't the best sort of person, but he is to me. I hope we can all get along with him"

Ladybug smiled at that as everyone else had a silent agreement with each other. 

"Alright, for today, I will be teaming up with Paon, everyone else can spread out in pairs together as Hawkmoth to be Chat Noir's assistant, as he can feel if there is any fear, it can help us more"

"I am pleased to assist" Hawkmoth said. "I understand that I'm still under supervision" 

"Carapace, you can pair up with Chat Noir for extra security"

Hawkmoth made a face of 'what, you don't trust me?'. 

"Sorry" She whispered. 

"Leave the rest to us then" Rena said as she looked at Queen Bee. "Let us know if you get anything, the ability of being able to sense emotions can be handy in a good way"

"Wonderful, everyone, spread out" 

"Understood Ladybug" Rena said. 

 

As they spread out Tom wondered.......if he could ever let himself love again. Time for a visit perhaps. 

When he went to bed that night, he thought it best to get some advice. 

 

_"Jake......Jake...." He called out and suddenly a shape came into form in front of him, showing Jake._

_"Tom" The gentle voice answered as he wrapped his arms around Tom._

_"Hello......" He leaned into his touch, "Jake.......oh, it's so nice to see you....."_

_"Are you fairing well?"_

_He felt happy to be back with him, but he was afraid....._

_"Yes......well, I came to tell you something"_

_"What is it?" Jake asked, as he held him just right._

_"Well......I've fallen for someone"_

_"Oh?! Oh Tom, I'm so happy for you......who is it?"_

_"It's Gabriel"_

_"I was hoping that you would get along with him! So what's the matter?"_

_Tom looked at him with a troubled face, and sniffed, he felt like as if he had to betray Jake if he wanted to love Gabriel._

_"Jake......I.....I don't know if I can ever........" Tom sniffed and the tears sprung out._

_"Oh Tom. Listen, when I'm here......I cannot feel much pain, even if I did, it would be dull"_

_"Really?"_

_"Remember what I said to you?"_

_"What?"_

_"You're gonna grow an old man, married with someone you love, nice and warm in your bed. And when your time comes, I'll be here. It's all I ever want for you, for you to be happy"_

_Tom sobbed._

_"Please don't be sad in my place. I'm at peace here" he lifted his chin up to face him, "You'll always be in my heart as you will always have mine"_

_Tom nodded. "I just hope I can.......keep going"_

_"Of course you can. You've kept alive all this time, all on your own, don't give up. Because you're not alone anymore, you have someone who loves you"_

_"Yeah" Tom whispered._

_"No go on. Don't waste so much time here"_

_Tom nodded, "Yeah- I gotta go, I love you Jake, so so much...."_

_"I love you too"_

 

_He took one last look at him, and let his spirit go back._

 

"Tom?" Gabriel said as he looked at Tom. "Are you alright? Why are you crying?"

Tom had opened his eyes again and realised that he had been crying in his sleep, wiping the tears off, the pain still lingered. 

"I visited. I-" He sniffed. 

Gabriel took a look at him and awed sadly, "Oh Tom......I miss Emilie too. It's hard to even let her go"

"You.....you understand...."

"Your eyes say it all"

Tom placed himself back into Gabriel's arms and cuddled up close. Doing so helped him breathe and relax, closing his eyes, he let himself be pulled into present reality. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_"Oh god I fell in love with Gabriel freaking Agreste"_ He realised. 

 

 


	33. Day 60

Tom decided that he would like to explore the back area of Gabriel's home. It interested him for a while and it made him a whole lot curious that he didn't know what was there. 

  
It had been a while since he developed a crush on Gabriel and now it has been turning into love. 

  
He thought this would happen, especially with Gabriel swooning over him and gaining his affections. It was hard to keep his heart in check. 

  
He needed a breather so he stepped out to explore. 

  
Walking down to the back, he noticed the grass so he decided to take his shoes off and walk barefooted on the grass. 

"Aaaahh......this is really soft!" He sighed, almost giggling at the sensation it gave him. 

As he walked along, feeling refreshed because of the wind and grass, he was soon met with a garden. 

 _"What ......whoa...."_  

There were beds of lovely roses. The area was clean inside the brick fence, the garden filled the area and as he looked up he could see the library windows. 

"What a lovely place....." He gasped before approaching a lovely colored rose, it seemed to have just bloomed. 

"Hello guys, you are absolutely beautiful have-" he inspected the petals, "Have you all been looked after? Because ......." 

He could feel something. 

"You guys have a lovely touch to you. A simple gardener hardly couldn't have looked after you" 

Then he figured....

"Is this Emilie's garden?" He looked around and saw that they were tended to but the place seemed to be missing something.

_"Oh......she isn't here anymore. That's......sad. This place is to be looked after with love yet their owner isn't alive anymore"_

Taking a sniff of the roses aroma, they were absolutely lovely. 

He sighed. _"Who looks after them.....?"_

There were trees around too. 

Lemon and orange trees. 

"Oooh......" He looked at them and found a ripe fruit, before picking it, he tore it open and took a bite.

"This......is so good" he made yummy noises as he ate the orange, looking at it, there were plenty of oranges ready to be picked along with heaps of lemons. 

"You left behind such a wonderful garden Emilie" 

He used his short to pack it up with some lemons and oranges before he found a basket in the corner shielded by a bush. 

"Gotcha.....!" 

He pulled it out and released his load of fruits in the basket, picking it up he eventually filled it.

_"Oranges for Adrien's lunch boxes, and lemons for some good tarts and cakes too! Good idea"_

He smiled as he continued to look around. 

_"Emilie, you may have gone......but I'm here. And maybe it's my role now to look after your garden for you in your place. This place has spirit, and it will be a shame for it to lose it, it has your love"_

He held the basket and and kept on walking to further explore the place. 

Eventually he approached a statue of Emilie in a corner, looking up he can see Adrien's room. 

"Oh....." 

He looked at it and it seemed as if he looked at her. Not like in the spirit world, but as if she was there, sleeping. Because this way he can feel the stone, touch it, the spirit world wouldn't give him anything, touching Jake felt like touching emptiness because there is never any real body to feel in the first place. But he always remembered how he felt, on Emilie's side though, he never met her so he doesn't know. 

"Good morning Emilie" he said and bowed. 

_"What a lovely statue of her, standing just outside Adrien's room. As if she is still looking over him so when he feels lonely he can look out and smile when he sees her"_

_"By the way......where is Adrien?"_  

"Tom?" Adrien spoke out loud and he turned to the voice. 

"What are you doing here?" Adrien asked. 

"I was taking a look in your Mothers garden" Tom smiled. 

"Huh? How do you know it's hers?"

"Well....." he looked back at the roses, "I can feel that it's been looked after with love, so it must be"

Adrien smiled then, "Wow, you're good"

"It's absolutely beautiful. I have hand picked some fruits, they're yummy, maybe we can add some to our meals" He suggested as he lifted the basket up and showed the fruits to him. 

The teenager approached them and took a sniff, there was a slight glimmer in his eyes, "You found her basket"

"Huh?"

"She hides it really well, no one can ever find her basket except her" He smiled wide, "I won't ask where you found it but that's a good omen"

Adrien felt really glad, as if Tom was a caring soul that went far beyond a friend, Gabriel had fallen in love with a wonderful person. 

"How is the garden looked after?"

"Well......Dad has someone to come in and look after it. Ever since Mum left it's been abandoned so......." 

Tom frowned. "It needs great care. It still has a good soul, I don't know gardening but, I don't like the idea of leaving this place to ruin. Can I take care of it?" 

Adrien looked up at him in surprise and felt his breath leave him, "Of course you can. It's still alive, we can't just let it die......" 

"Then leave it to me! I'll start studying" 

"Wow, I like your confidence" 

Tom chuckled. 

"So. How are you?" Tom asked. 

Adrien sighed sadly. 

"Is your heart still hurt?"

Adrien nodded, "Yeah. And well, how are you? With Dad? Do you like him yet?"

"Well.......to be honest, if you're wondering whether or not if your Dad has succeeded then he definitely has. In fact, I got a crush on him before he even started showing his affections" Tom admitted. 

"Out of ten how would you rate your love?'

"Urgh, say......seven? I'm terrible, It's already hard enough to hide it, I don't wanna boost his ego"

Adrien laughed, "You know that I come with the package too?"

"Of course, you're a wonderful soul Adrien, and you mean so much to me. I can't be your birth Mum but at least I can be something. I hope"

Adrien smiled, "Of course you are. You're a treasured family member"

Adrien gave him a hug, and Tom hugged him back. "I promised Emilie that I will look after your Dad, and that includes you"

Adrien sniffled, "Thank you", Tom gave him a kiss on the forehead as they hugged, "I know that life is short, don't take it for granted. The people in my life mean a lot to me because you never know what the next day may bring"

"I just......feel like I wasn't able to give her a proper goodbye. She left and that's it, gone. I want to speak to her, talk to her, it's a missing piece that I have in my heart"

Tom hummed. 

 

To spend the weekend, Adrien asked to join Gabriel along in his training regime, he started by taking laps in the pool just in the west basement of the house. 

Reaching the end of the pool he stopped and looked up to see his Dad smiling down at him. 

"How was that?" 

"You have a very good stroke Adrien, very elegant and smooth, keep it up. You have very strong muscles in those arms of yours" Gabriel said. 

Plagg sat in the corner making sure that he doesn't get splashed while using Nooroo as a shield. 

"It's just water Plagg, no big deal!" Adrien said. 

"Just water my ass! If you get a single drop on me I'll.....shred on the furniture!!!" The kwami screeched. 

"Some cats actually like water did you know Adrien?" Gabriel said. 

"Really? That's hard to believe"

"Well, I know one that does" 

Adrien figured that he was referring to him, "Ha ha, good one"

Gabriel chuckled. 

Adrien got out of the pool and took his cap and goggles off, "So I got this part of your home regime down, what's next?" 

"Alright, if you're up to the challenge still, we can go and do some weightlifting since you've stretched out your muscles a bit" 

"Cool!" 

  
"Whooooooooa! Guys! I didn't know you had a pool!" Tom said as he popped in. 

"Were going to the gym in just a bit, wanna join?" Gabriel asked. 

"Of course! I'll get changed right away!" 

"Were gonna take a shower first so take your time" 

"Sure" Tom then left the area. 

"Let's go and take a shower in the shower room Adrien" 

Adrien nodded and followed Gabriel along to the shower room. 

"Hey Dad, did Mum also exercise with you?" 

"Oh yeah. Sometimes, but not as much as me because she was a very fit lady"

"I thought so...." 

They're reached the shower room and saw Nathalie.

"Oh Nath" Gabriel noticed their gym clothes in her hands "Thank you" he received them, "Weren't you going on a date with Tokyu?" 

"I was just about to leave, I wanted to bring your clothes over first" 

"Thank you, have a wonderful time with Tokyu" 

"I can ask him about the juicy details later" Adrien winked. 

"Yes" Nathalie blushed, "I will enjoy myself" 

"See you later Nathalie" Gabriel said as she stepped away and Adrien waved. 

"Bye!" 

"Bye" Nathalie responded before she disappeared.

  
  
With a smile Gabriel into the bathroom where a closet day, he their clothes inside. 

"You can take your trunks off now, put them in the sink so they can dry" 

"Sure. My cap too?" 

"Your cap as well" Gabriel nodded.

Adrien put his cap in the sink and out his goggles aside before they stripped down. 

"So Dad, how's it going?" 

"Me? With what?" 

"I'm almost sixteen Dad, tell me about your crush on Tom. Is it.......different? I mean, he's a he" 

"Well ......." Gabriel felt a bit shy. "It's obvious he's not a woman. I fell for his soul first not his body and I think that's most important. The ladies get real offended if you get attracted by the body first you see, and the body was never a thing that I considered with your Mother. I loved a woman but in my mind, she is also a person so I never looked at her in that way. We had sex to have children and not for.......playing around" 

"A real gentleman huh? I don't find myself playing around with Marinette but I like hanging around with her, I guess I'm just not into it. Is that bad?" 

"Of course not" 

They stepped into their showers that were connected together. 

"Nothing is wrong about how you feel, it's perfectly natural. You have to communicate with your partner about it" 

"So is Tom different?" 

"Yeah he's........a different world I guess, when I told him that I had a crush on him, afterwards I had to remind myself of what I was getting myself into and that I had to be aware that I had to be ready for it. You don't just jump into these kind of things Adrien, they can't be rushed or you'll regret it later, you'll end up hurting someone"

"I see" 

"You may not be able to control a crush Adrien .......but you have a self conscious decision on whether if you are going to act on your feelings. Stepping forward and confessing is a decision you have to make yourself, love is wonderful but if it's unbalanced it will surely topple terribly, I learned that the hard way" 

"Do you have to marry? Do you have to have children?" 

Gabriel sighed, "Some people don't have a choice because of their traditions and cultures. Emilie was put into a position from birth in which she had to marry and bare sons with a husband that was chosen and accepted by the family, but when I met her things changed and we didn't want that for her, we wanted to be together and her parents hated me for that, for disrupting their regulations, that's why we don't have a good relationship with her parents.

From that experience I personally believe that marriage is a thing that binds a couple together without anything or anyone having to sever it, so I would always consider marrying as a thing to do. But children are the most challenging thing ever for a parent, I suggest that you bare children when you are mentally, physically and financially ready. Whatever you choose in your own path with Marinette Adrien is your path to lead with her, I will always be here if you need my help but when you have children you choose to raise human beings just like how I teach you things that will help you for the rest of your life, what you do I will support but whatever you choose whether I like it or not is part of your life and what you truly want, I will not oppose against what you do because I know and trust that you will make decisions that will make you happiest just like I did with your Mother" 

Adrien felt like this was a good life lesson. 

"We lost three other siblings before you Adrien" 

Adrien gasped. 

"Don't let the negative points in your life take away your happiness with her. Don't give up, take breaks when you need it, and enjoy life"

"But now that you're in love again, what are you going to do with Tom? Is the process of a relationship with a man any different?" 

Gabriel smiled. "Gay men happen to hold onto life a lot more than hetero people do. For a very long time his kind could not get married, even being Asian is almost impossible because of cultural beliefs, and for that I'm very inspired by his fighting personality because he knows that in the past many people never got the chance. He has one and he isn't going to waste it and for that I will treat him the very same as I did with your Mother, because he deserves that" 

Adrien smiled. 

"It's just the beginning, if he doesn't love me then that's fine. I will support him, but if he does then we will have to see from there, these sorts of things can't be predicted" 

"Yeah! I didn't even know that Marinette was Ladybug" 

Gabriel chuckled, "Tom may be a man, but he's a person too" 

Adrien nodded, "Alright. I learned a lot from that, thank you" 

"You're very welcome" 

They stepped out of the shower and got dried up, before changing into their gym clothes and moving onto the gym. 

Once Gabriel opened the door Tom was already there. 

"Hey guys" Tom said. 

"Oh hello, you're here in time" Gabriel said. 

"Make sure you dried your hair right, cause I don't want you getting a cold Adrien" Tom frowned. 

"Thanks. I made sure" Adrien smiled in response. 

"Now can you show me a push up?" Gabriel asked Adrien.

"Sure! I'll show you my best!" 

The boy went down to the ground and put himself in position before pushing down, grunting a bit he pushed himself up. 

"One....." 

It wasn't long till Adrien got tired and slumped to the floor. 

Gabriel chuckled. "Up again Adrien" 

He went up again and Gabriel pushed his hands closer together and his legs closer. Adrien pushed down and up with better ease. 

"Your hands were far apart, it was putting too much of your weight on them" Gabriel explained. 

"Oh. Wow" 

"You know your stuff" Tom said, "I'm a weakling" 

"Maybe you don't have the genes for it, either way you're still cute the way you are" 

Adrien grinned to himself at that comment. 

"Thank you. I just usually take the walker. That's enough for me" 

Gabriel smiled, "Now Adrien, if you can't do push ups, weightlifting will be much harder" 

Adrien grunted through a push up. 

"I'll join you" Gabriel went down, "And one!" 

"Dad, you make it look like it's nothing!" 

Gabriel then does one with one arm and Adrien groaned internally. 

"And two!" 

Tom was satisfied just watching them do push ups. 

When Gabriel was happy with Adrien's effort, he stopped. And Adrien just slumped to the ground. 

"Owwww......my arms....." 

"Would you like to do some weightlifting now?" 

"Yeah!" He got pumped and got up. 

Gabriel started teaching him the weights. 

  
Later, Adrien had enough, his body hurt and he could barely feel his arms. There was more than enough weights, push ups and sit ups in one day.

"Ooooooooowwwwwwww......." 

Plagg chuckled. 

"Would you like to take a bath?" Gabriel asked, "With a lavender bath bomb and bubbles?" 

"Oh yes please" Adrien groaned on the ground, his limb body splayed out. 

"I'll prepare the spa in your bathroom" 

"Thanks, I'll catch up with you" 

As Tom left, Gabriel managed to pull Adrien up on his feet and get him walking along all the way to his room. 

"Ow. Ow" Adrien's body ached the whole way. 

As they went in the bathroom the spa was already prepared, the bath bomb ready to go in. 

"Did you know, that when people do sport they have an ice bath instead?" 

"Really?" Adrien was astounded, "I'd rather do more push ups"

"A nice bath will fix you Adrien" Tom stood there wearing just underwear to prevent Adrien's eyes from burning. 

Both Gabriel and Adrien stripped down before Adrien approached the spa. 

"Thank you Tom" Adrien smiled before he lifted one leg, before putting it in the spa, he sighed in relief, then moved into the spa completely. 

Adrien sighed in heaven, his muscles were being relaxed, he closed his eyes and rested his head. 

"That's better" 

Tom took the plastic off the bath bomb and put it in the spa to watch it dissolve. 

The smell of lavender whiffed into the air before Gabriel and Tom climbed in. 

Tom grabbed a washing bucket, scooped up some people water and gently poured it on Adrien's hair, smoothing down his golden locks. 

"Aaaaaaahhh....... that's heavenly" 

Tom then grabbed a small washing towel, dipped it into the water, squeezed the excess water out and then put it on Adrien's top half of his face. 

"There" 

"You're the best Tom......" Adrien relaxed. 

"You bathe Japanese style don't you Tom?" Gabriel said. 

"Its very hygienic in a way, you normally shower before a bath before hand to wash yourself and soak afterwards. You don't normally come straight into a bath all sweaty, and I don't come in with underwear either, but it's okay since they're a fresh pair" 

"You have a habit of scrubbing my back in the shower beforehand" Gabriel smiled. 

"I like taking care of you, and you do the same in return" 

"Your body is important to take care of" 

"I agree. You don't have a good quality of life if you don't. Either way, even if you look good doing exercise, you're not getting anywhere on that with me"

"I expected that" Gabriel chuckled. 

"Only a little bit I admit" Tom blushed and that took Gabriel by surprise. 

"How?" 

"I know that you're a good man by how well you take care of yourself" 

"Damn!" Adrien replied, and the two rose their eyes as they realised that Adrien was listening. 

"Does this mean that I have to do more of this?" 

"You don't have to overdo yourself Adrien, from being Chat Noir and just looking after yourself alone is more than enough" Tom said. 

Adrien sighed, "Thank god". 

"I thought that the body wasn't as important" 

"In relationship sense no, because the person is more focused on. Not the body, that doesn't define a person completely. It's just perception, someone can still be evil minded even if they take care of themselves, what I'm saying is that you look after yourself very well and I know that by being around you" 

"Huh" Gabriel responded. "How about that Adrien" 

"Someone has to write a book on how to understand girls. Seriously" Adrien replied. 

"I suppose that we can always apply ourselves to primary sources" Gabriel said, smiling at Tom. 

Tom smiled back.

"I like you Gabriel, but I like you as a person best. No matter how pretty you may look" 

Gabriel grinned at that comment. 

"But as long as you get me, that's all you need" 

Gabriel hummed. 

"Yeah. You're right, Marinette and I have a good communication" Adrien smiled. 

"I'm glad to hear that" Gabriel said before turning to Tom, they smiled at each other, before grinning because they knew that Adrien could hear them possibly chattering about like an old married couple.

Meanwhile Nathalie never thought she smiled so much before, in the last half hour she and Tokyu have been sharing their previous lives so far, Tokyu had been practicing his French thanks to the help of Marinette and herself, he had been taking lessons too, and so far he has progressed so nicely. His accent developed too and she found it wonderful to listen to, Tokyu was an English tutor and teacher in America and still is. He likes cuppachino coffee and black tea, matching her taste with the flat white and green tea. He had always been a good brother to Tom as his brother grew up, he was always the one protecting him because that's what a big brother did. 

"So these parents of yours.......they seem to have a strong hold on their culture and beliefs" 

"Yes. It's an absolute nightmare, I mean, they're tiger parents" 

"What are those?" 

"Worse than helicopter patents, they literally plan your whole life from your school's, your career, university, relationships, everything" 

"That's mean" She frowned, "Gabriel was a bit strict in his own ways once upon a time but after he met Chat Noir he had come to treat Adrien the way Adrien wanted to be treated and loved" 

"Your boss knows Chat Noir the superhero?" Tokyu was surprised. 

"Yes. They're close friends" 

"Well I'm glad to know that Gabriel has come forth better than he could ever be" 

"Thank goodness too, because Adrien was always alone in his room all the time. Now he roams everywhere, I can't keep track of him" 

"Aww, I'm happy to hear that" 

"So what are you going to do with yours? They seem beyond repair" 

"Ah yeah, they are, I'm gonna change my name. That'll get them off my back" 

"Change your name? To what?" 

"Hmm......what about Sanceour?" 

Nathalie was taken aback as her heart fluttered, "My name?" 

"Why not? If we do work well, I'll take your name instead of you taking mine" 

Nathalie blushed. 

"If you want to that is. I'd hate for you to be bossed around by my parents" 

"No. I'd love to give you my name. Tokyu, Tokyu Sanceour. I love it" 

Tokyu smiled, "Life is short Nathalie, don't let yourself be kept back by your job. You're a wonderful woman and it'll be sad to let it go to waste, tend to yourself once in a while. I already love being a part of it" 

She out a hand on his and he blushed a little at the contact, "If you'll have me" 

Nathalie knew that he had already taken her heart by then. 

"Huh?" She was then taken by something else. 

"What?" 

Nathalie could see a little bump in his neck, it was so tiny you would almost could see it. 

"There is something, a bump on your neck" 

"Oh? It's kind of itchy......I think it's a zit or something" 

"No" she looked closely at it, "It's a tracker"  

"Shit" Tokyu's mood turned sour. 

"I know a doctor that can take it out"

"The faster we remove it the better"

"Agreed" 

 

  
The doctor was a wonder as he cut a little incision and pulled the tracker out. 

"Damn. That's a high quality one" the doctor commented. "I'll stitch you up and you'll be all good" he gave the tracker to Nathalie. 

"They don't seem very trusting" Nathalie said. 

"They never are. Tom was always the one that tried to search for a soft side but they would just tell him to go and do what they wanted" 

"I'm glad that Adrien had a better life. I watched him grow up and I'm surprised you haven't committed suicide" 

"My world doesn't revolve around them" Tokyu smirked. 

"Well. I think I know the perfect place for this thing" 

"The river? They can follow me down to the southern hemisphere, it'll drive them crazy" 

"You are a devil. In a good way" Nathalie smirked at his idea. 

 

Right after leaving the doctor, Nathalie threw the tracker away in a nearby river and they watched it float away. 

"Good riddance" Tokyu said, "Good thing you spotted it. How did you know it was a tracker?" 

"I've researched security camera and intercoms before, along those are trackers and I remember what they looked like. And your parents fit the bill, so I noticed the lump" 

"You're a wonder" Tokyu wiggled his nose against hers. 

She giggled. 

"Now, let's get you back" 

"Tokyu, I'd love to do this again. Friday night next week?" 

Tokyu's eyes sparkled, "I'd love to! Ice cream?" 

"Wonderful idea" 

 

Tokyu walked her back to Gabriel's place but the man could sense that something was wrong. 

"What is it?" Nathalie asked. 

"I smell a rat" Tokyu scowled. 

Nathalie opened the door and they slipped in. 

"Stay here" he whispered. 

He could feel that his parents were around, their aura was lingering, he had always gotten himself wary of them. 

Then he heard their voices. 

 

"I don't care if you don't know, where is your brother?!" Their Father asked. 

"We don't know and we don't have to answer to you. Get out! You are more than a burden to Tom!" Gabriel replied. 

Tokyu was surprised, Gabriel was firmly telling them off? He's usually the one protecting Tom.

"Knowing you, you're probably tracking him!" Tom said sourly. 

Their Father scowled. 

"You came here to say hello and you have done so, now leave!!" 

Tokyu moved aside before the door opened and he hid behind the curtains swiftly, he could hear Gabriel dismissing the man out of the house and a huge slam was heard. 

"Damn" Gabriel said. "Sorry about that Nathalie, they're big liars" 

"I can imagine" 

Tokyu came out and approached them. 

"Hey" 

"Oh" Gabriel noticed him. "Did you hear all that?" 

"Yeah, and I'm glad you were able to fend him off for my lil' brother" 

Tom then came out with Duusuu looking down, "Niichan......you aren't tracked are you?" 

"Thanks to Nathalie my tracker will be followed down the South Pacific" Tokyu smirked. "Don't worry about me" 

Tom sighed in relief before he went to hug him, "Thank goodness. I don't want you to suffer any longer" 

Then he hugged Nathalie, "Thank you so much. He has been protecting me for so long, it's time that someone had his back too" 

Nathalie smiled, "Yeah. I think so too"

Tokyu felt a connection with her then. 

  
"I'm so glad he's gone. I can just rest easy now" Tom rested next to Gabriel while Adrien sat next to Gabriel and Nathalie and Tokyu took their own seats next to each other. 

"You're dear to me, and to have you hurt by your parents is just heartbreaking" 

Adrien smiled at that comment his Dad made. 

"How was your date Nathalie?"

"Absolutely wonderful! We are going out again next week" 

"Really? I'm so pleased" Adrien said. 

"I had a great time too" Tokyu said, "I've learned a lot about Nathalie and she's a fantastic woman" 

Nathalie smiled. 

"You make her smile so that's a positive" 

"If it goes well, and we get married....." 

"I'll take her name to get our parents off our backs for good" 

"Oh niichan!" Tom was so happy, "I'm so happy for you. I hope the road with her continues to be a success" 

"I hope so" Nathalie replied. 

Duusuu hummed happily. 

"So your french is developing really well Sensei" Adrien started. 

"Call me Tokyu when I'm not your teacher Adrien. And yes, I'm a fast learner, it's a habit. Besides, isn't your birthday coming up little man?" 

"It is" Gabriel confirmed, "I've already sent invitations. All of your friends will be coming over here to join you" 

"Aw thanks Dad! This will be the best ever birthday you have ever given me" Adrien hugged his Dad. 

"No worries son, it's a special day and I want you to enjoy it" 

"Would you like some of my cooking at the party?" Tom offered. 

"I'd love some" 

"We can invite Sabine and Mr Dupain along too, they would love to make things for everyone as well" Gabriel said. 

"That's a wonderful idea, you can all work together. Can I do some decorations?" 

"We can all plan" Tokyu said, "I've never been to a birthday party. It'll be a good experience" 

"Shall we all make a plan?" Nathalie asked. 

"I've already done most of it, but you guys can input some things" Gabriel suggested. 

"I'll go and get some pen and paper" the boy sped off. 

"Can we have some food too in a private space?" Plagg asked. 

"Of course. We can list some meals that you all would like"

"And some for everyone else too!"

They started planning the whole afternoon much to Adrien's excitement. 

 

"So Gabriel Agreste, how are you and my lil brother getting along?" Tokyu asked later while Tom stepped out with Adrien to the kitchen.

When Gabriel heard his full name, he knew that Tokyu was serious in his question. 

"Well, to put it clearly......Tom is very comfortable in telling me anything while I feel the same, he has let me show my affections and while I haven't gotten a response yet since we are in a trial, I say that we are getting along nicely"

"That's very good to hear, I saw how you fended my parents off, that was very brave considering that I could rest assured knowing that Tom is in good hands"

"I intend to make him happy, whether or not if he responds to me"

Tokyu smiled, "I'm glad. That's what I want for him too"

Nathalie gave Tokyu a smile. 

 

"Adrien" Gabriel said to his son in the kitchen as he was helping Tom make dinner. 

"Yes Dad?"

"There is someone who wants to meet you" 

"Oh? I'll be right out" 

Adrien didn't know who was visiting, so he excused himself and went down to the front door. 

There was a young woman there, talking to Gabriel. 

She seemed bright as she stood next to a bright man as young as her, they seemed like a engaged couple. The man had short hair and green eyes, while the lady had brown short hair that gracefully sat on her shoulders with brown eyes, both were in their comfortable everyday wear. 

_"Why are they here.....?"_

"Hello" Adrien greeted before he approached them. 

The lady's attention immediately switched to Adrien. 

"Hello!" She said, her voice cheerful like she was a bright evening sky, before she approached Adrien. 

"It's wonderful to finally meet you!" She kneeled down to his level, she was already very tall, her husband, even taller. "My name is Maria Armand, you must be Adrien" 

"Yes, hello Maria" 

She smiled warmly at him, "It must be odd for a stranger to come in through your front door huh?"

"I know who you are now, so you're not a stranger"

She chuckled, "This is my fiancee Ciel, we just got engaged"

"Wow, congratulations!"

"Thank you~ And well.....I must explain my arrival. And there is no way to how I could explain it to you....."

Adrien listened. 

"First of all, I'm very disheartened to hear about your lovely Mother, she seemed like a beautiful soul"

"Oh" Adrien was surprised, "Thank you...." He said softly. 

"But, do you remember when you let her go to donate her organs?"

"Yeah....." He remembered seeing her before he broke down, "I do"

"Well, a few months ago I had a heart failure, and I was going to die. Ciel was there the whole time, and for a while we thought that our plans for the future were destroyed"

Adrien frowned. 

"I was a heart recipient but there was no knowing that I could get one. But then one came available"

"It was sad knowing that someone died, but in losing a life, another is saved, and I got into surgery right away, our hopes and dreams were revived"

Adrien smiled. 

"The heart I received, was from your Mother"

Adrien gasped. 

"And for every Mama, is a precious one, I can't believe what you have lost. No one can replace a Mama, but thanks to your Mama, I can get married, and be a Mama myself too, I get to have a second chance"

"She didn't die in vain, she got to give others a chance that you had too"

Adrien stood there, and as the tears rose, he realised........that even if he lost Emilie, he also gave light to more life for others. 

"I can't say thank you because that would be harsh, I really wanted to meet you because I wanted to give you a very big hug for your Mama. You must miss her so dearly, and that......I promise that I will look after her heart"

Adrien sniffed, and tears started rolling down his cheeks, "I.....I would love a hug"

She smiled gently and gave him a soft and gentle hug. 

At that moment, he could feel her heartbeat, his Mothers heartbeat, still alive. He smiled a little, glad that......his Mother still lived on in others, including himself. 

"Would you like to come to my birthday party?" he asked. "It's coming up soon" 

"Oh sweetie, I'd love to come! Also....."She put a hand in her breast pocket and pulled out an invitation, "Would you like to come to my wedding? You can bring your family and friends with you"

Adrien gasped as he received the invitation, "I'd love to" he smiled. 

 

Soon, he was able to collect himself after his meeting with her, she seemed like the sweetest woman, so he was glad that she was able to live on and be happy with her fiancee. 

He went back to the kitchen to rejoin Tom. 

Once he stepped inside the kitchen and what he saw next got his blood run cold. 

Tom was inside with white stuff splattered against his shirt and face, the man was groaning as if he made an accident. 

But Adrien stepped out and slammed the door immediately in a frantic panic.

_"Don't tell me they-!"_

"Adrien" Gabriel spoke. 

"Eiiiiiiihhhhhh!!!!" Adrien jumped up in surprise and turned around. 

"Whoa!" Gabriel was taken aback, "What's wrong? You look spooked" 

"Wait-" Adrien wiped his eyes and looked up at him "You haven't done something with Tom have you?" 

"What?" Gabriel frowned as he didn't know what he was getting to, "No. What do you mean?" 

"But......I just went in the kitchen and he had white stuff all over him! In splatters!" Adrien flustered. 

Gabriel was surprised too and stepped in with Adrien following suit. 

They found him in the same situation that Adrien found him in before and Gabriel gasped as he saw his crush. Adrien went red. 

"Tom?! What on earth?! Has another man stepped in here?!" Gabriel was alarmed. 

"Huh? What? No......why?" Tom asked as he was wiping the white stuff off with a wet towel. 

"What's that all over you?" 

"Oh? This? I was trying to open a can of condensed milk and it sprayed all over me. Hehehe....." 

Gabriel face palmed and Adrien just gaped at his mistake. 

"Son......you are hilarious. It's just milk" Gabriel was relieved and smirked. 

"I'm sorry Dad I had no idea I just......"

"Did you think it was semen?" Tom asked before chuckling, Adrien grumbled to himself. 

"Really? They look so similar but....oh my god!" He started laughing, "That's so funny!" He laughed some more and Adrien got embarrassed. 

"For your information, I'd never let your Father mark his territory in the kitchen, it's very unsanitary" Tom smiled wide. 

Adrien groaned and left the kitchen.

"Pfft" Gabriel snorted at Adrien's reaction, "Imaginations these days" he said before he approached Tom, swiped some milk off his cheek and licked it off his finger. "Hmmmm nice"

"Wow. Very attractive" Tom winked at him. 

"You think? Maybe one day I can actually mark my territory on you"

Tom felt his heart jump but kept himself cool, "Maybe, we shall see" 

Plagg came in with a sign hanging from his neck titled  _"I ate all of the Camembert'_ on it. The kwami was scowling and grumbling to himself. 

"What on earth is this?" Gabriel asked, surprised at the method of punishment that was used. 

"The sign says it all, he ate all of the cheese once Adrien and I stepped out, he will be eating dairy free cheese for the rest of the week before it all gets restocked" Tom said. 

"Bad kwami" Gabriel sighed and shook his head at him. 

"That was very irresponsible Plagg" Nooroo said, displeased. 

Tom looked at Gabriel for a second, and felt his heart beat. Looking at him, he felt himself blush as he thought about his lips. And that tongue of his. 

_"Oh, I really want to tell him.........it's really egging at my heart, I wanna taste that tongue, kiss those lips of his......I wonder if we did kiss that night, he would have been really gentle......"_

He looked away, a little shy. 

"If you decide to ruin Adrien's sock drawer anytime, you'll find yourself wearing one on your head" Gabriel said. 

Plagg grumbled. 

After dinner Tom and Gabriel gave Adrien a hug before bed, Gabriel also pecked him on the head as usual, Adrien seemed to have less weight on his shoulders. 

But Tom's heart was jittery. 

Seeing how Gabriel Agreste undresses himself in the middle of the room just sets his ears alight.

It was ridiculous knowing that he had seen his body before multiple times, those first times he responded in embarrassment, then it became casual, now it's like a blushing event. 

 _"This is going to get hard"_ He told himself. 

_"Wait- he's gonna see me too!"_

He turned around and changed that way. 

_"But......you're gonna rest in this man's arms anyway, and......he's so nice.....so compassionate......If I didn't before, I absolutely believe that I can be his partner, much more than just friends......"_

He joined Gabriel to brush their teeth before going to bed, they said goodnight to their kwami. Gabriel going in first. 

"Here" He made an opening for Tom to sleep next to him. 

Tom smiled sweetly at him before he crawled in to lay next to Gabriel. 

_"I just hope he doesn't read my emotions......"_

"Gabriel, you don't read my emotions do you?'

"No, that would be invasive"

"Thank god"

"What?"

"NoThInG!" Tom squeaked. 

Gabriel hummed in interest but let it slide, if he were going to get anything, he'll get it later. 

_"Ya know.......being with him, being in his warmth...........and knowing that Jake wants me to be happy.......do I want to be with him? Yes, I do"_

Gabriel put the covers around him with the intention of keeping him warm. 

"There, it's starting to get cold nowadays" He said. 

Tom noticed that his shoulder was exposed so he lifted the covers and covered him too. "You better stay warm too" 

As Gabriel smiled, he spoke again, "So, how am I fairing in the trial?"

"Well........you're not failing......" 

There was a glimmer of hope in Gabriel's eyes, "Good, because right now, in the future and forever, you're the one. And I want you to be happy no matter what kind of happiness you choose" 

"Even if it's not me, I wish for you, a life full of light, hope, and less scars" he kissed his hand, "Because you deserve it"

Tears rose up to Tom's eyes as he heard that. 

_"Oh yeah. He's the one, even if I had no idea that it would end up like this.........but I know what my heart is saying........"_

 

 

_"I want to spend a future with him"_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
